Politics
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.
The immediate past deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State, Dr Emana Ambrose Amawhe has resigned her membership of the party with immediate effect.
In a letter dated 28th March, 2025 addressed to the Chairman of Edem Odo Ward in Akpabuyo Local Government Council of Cross River State, she said, her resignation was with immediate effect.
She pointed out in the letter that her resignation should not be taken lightly, while she reaffirmed her commitment to and readiness to serve the government of Cross River and Nigeria in general in any capacities.
She said, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.
”I sincerely appreciate the opportunity given to me over time to contribute my quota to the growth of the party and the chance to serve as the Deputy Governorship Candidate in the last general elections.
”It was a privilege to be part of the PDP’s vision and engage with our people in meaningful ways. However, after much reflection in light of the current state of affairs within the party, I believe it is time for me to move on.
“This decision was not made lightly, but I remain committed to serving my community and contributing to the progress of our state and nation in other capacities.”
Ambrose-Amawhe was the running mate to Senator Sandy Onor in the 2023 governorship election in Cross River.
She had also contested for the House of Representatives seat for the Bakassi/Akpabuyo/Calabar South Federal Constituency under the PDP.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State Chapter, Chief Tony Okocha, has defended the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu in the state, citing escalating security threats.
According to Chief Okocha, Rivers State was on the brink of anarchy due to increasing security concerns in various parts of the state.
Okocha made this statement while addressing journalists at the APC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Justifying the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency, Okocha commended the President for his “timely” intervention and criticized those opposing the decision.
“The state of emergency called by Mr. President saved Rivers State from anarchy. When you see non-state actors brandishing guns and making statements that promote lawlessness, then you should know there is a problem.
“I see some people jumping onto television platforms to cast aspersions on Mr. President and condemn what they do not understand. Mr. President knows more than they do.
“The truth of the matter is that Rivers State was headed towards anarchy. We all know Rivers is one of the states that sustain this country. Some of the same people criticizing the President now would have also condemned him if he had done nothing.”
Chief Okocha also questioned the silence of former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) when the Rivers State House of Assembly complex was demolished under Governor Fubara’s administration.
“Thank God, President Goodluck Jonathan has been president, General Obasanjo has been president, and they know that every day on their table, they receive security reports.
“I hear the NBA saying the suspension is an affront to democracy. But when the assembly complex was burned and the next day, eleven pieces of equipment were deployed to demolish it, the NBA was silent. They were alive, yet we didn’t hear anything from them”, he said.
Reacting to criticism over why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was not sanctioned despite allegations that he contributed to the unrest, Okocha argued that Wike was not involved in the crisis.
He said, “For those asking why the Governor and members of the State House of Assembly were suspended but not the Minister of the FCT—was he in the frame? The answer is no”
Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo said, God has told him that the party will produce the next president in 2027 general election.
Speaking over the weekend in Abeokua when he met the members and executive who were led by the State Chairman, Yinka Ola-Williams, said he could confirm that a President of SDP will mount Aso Rock villa in 2027.
“One thing that God is telling me is that there will be an SDP president in the villa in 2027.
“For the first time in a long time, we will have people who care for the people. Let’s remain focused. The problems of Nigeria are our problems, not individuals.
“We are not against Tinubu as a person but we are against hunger, inflation, poverty, insecurity, unemployment. That’s what we are against,” he said.
Buttressing Adebayo’s position on modalities of joining the party, the SDP Chairman in Ogun State, Mr. Yinka Ola-Williams, disowned 30,000 membership cards and registers allegedly being flaunted by one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants in the 2023 governorship election in the State.
Ola-Williams said the party’s door is widely opened to anybody who wants to join, but such a person or group, no matter how highly placed, must follow the procedure as laid down in the party’s constitution.
He emphatically stated that the party had nothing to do with the membership cards and registers claimed by the aspirant, who said he got them from the party’s National Secretariat.
“We want people to join us, and we want to work together to provide a better government than what we have now that will remove poverty, provide a better healthcare system for people, improve education and all.
“But not that they come to the party, hijack the party and take the structure away. That’s what we will not agree,” Ola-Williams said.
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