CSU saga: Igbo group slams Obi for asking Tinubu to reveal his ‘true’ identity

…says Atiku suffering from post election trauma

A pro All Progressives Congress (APC), Igbo group – Omaluegwuoku Progressive Initiative, OPI, has slammed Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, for demanding that President Bola Tinubu reintroduce himself to the country following controversies surrounding his degree certificate with the Chicago State University.

Mr Peter Obi had in a press conference aired live on Arise Television, Wednesday morning, requested that President Tinubu reveal his ‘true’ identity to the public he governs.

He had said, “I humbly call on him (Tinubu) to immediately and personally mount his president’s high office and perform a simple task once and for all time. He should reintroduce himself to the nation he governs and to the world for avoidance of further doubt.

“He should let the world know his name, his nationality, his place of birth, his parentage, the primary and secondary schools he attended with dates as well as the actual universities he attended and certificates he obtained”.

But in their reaction, the Igbo group stated that it was quite disrespectful and an insult to the Nation for anyone to ask the president to publicly make clarification on his personal profile.

Speaking on behalf of the group in a World Press Conference, Wednesday afternoon, the OPI global leader, Amb. Ginika Tor expressed disappointment in Obi for making such request even when the matter is still in court.

The group said, “I realised that my own brother that I respect so much, Peter Obi, who is also the presidential candidate of Labour party, he came up on ARISE TV to say that our president, a man that is the number one man in this country should come out and explain his state. So by now a man who served 8 years as a governor, you don’t know his state? Should tell us his background educationally, is that right?

“It is an insult to Nigeria as a nation. For you to call out our president who was massively supported, elected, confirmed and validated as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to come and stand before who? To say he’s from this state, from this country, from this region, from this locality. Does he owe us that? What the President owes us now is to take us to our destination of choice.

“So, I am disappointed in a man that I respected so much, my brother, who stood in front to run for Igbos. It may not be his turn now, but it could come in future. But whatever he does now is going to play out in the future. So let us be cautious and let all Igbos not be misled by this press interview that our own brother granted ARISE”.

They however urged Mr Obi not to further heat up the polity but join hands and support the President in moving the country forward.

On the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s insistence that President Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate was fake, the group alleged that he (Atiku) was suffering from post election trauma.

According to them, Atiku’s claim was out of envy, having lost to President Bola Tinubu in the last general elections.

“The PDP Presidential Candidate Abubakar who appear to still be suffering from a severe post-election loss trauma and a near-presidency syndrome following his defeat at the polls on his fifth presidential contest suddenly realized that his dream of being President of this country which seemed so close in 2003 was again a mirage in 2023.

“His post-election trauma ballooned following the unsuccessful prosecution of his brief by his legal team at the PEPT, filed a petition lacking in substance and direction. Like someone who woke up from a terrible nightmare, Atiku commissioned a fishing expedition to Chicago State University on a wild goose chase for President Bola Tinubu’s certificate. They started by saying President Bola Tinubu did not attend CSU and when CSU confirmed repeatedly that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was their student and graduated with honours in 1979, they changed lane and started accusing President Bola Tinubu of submitting a fake certificate to INEC in 2022.

“Atiku Abubakar’s inordinate quest to malign the integrity of Mr. President also amounts to destroying or tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community all in a bid to perpetuate a lie and make people believe that President Bola Tinubu submitted forged certificate to INEC.

“We wish to state that this matter is in court, we chose to refrained from making comments on it but wish to unequivocally debunk the lies being towed by such an elder Statesman who should place patriotism and national interest above his personal ambition to be the number one man in Nigeria. To seek to impugn the character of Nigerians before the International community in the manner he is going smacks of desperation”, the group said.

They further called on the people of the South-East region to unite and support the present administration progressive policy direction.

“We call on Mr. President to equally find a way to include many competent progressives who share his development ideology and also worked tirelessly to help enthrone this government. Giving these categories of people the opportunity to serve in different capacities will be the surest way of quickly attaining the targets contained in his Renewed Hope vision since they are co-owners of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We pray that the President will sustain his track record as a worthy father, a unifier and detribalized Nigerian to ensure equitable sharing in the forthcoming appointments in order to give everyone a sense of belonging and command national loyalty which will ensure that we remain an indivisible Nation and actualize peace and unity for the good of all Nigerians”, they added.