Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, has filed a separate case with No. 23-5099 (N. D. III.) at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against President Bola Tinubu in the United States.
Phrank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communications to Atiku who made this known in a statement on Sunday said the development followed the decision of the former Vice-President to withdraw an existing case before a circuit court in Illinois.
He asserted that it was funny that Tinubu and his supporters were rejoicing over the development as if it were a Supreme Court judgment.
He maintained that Tinubu’s academic records from primary school till university remained questionable, hence the President’s failure to identify a single former classmate.
Shaibu said, Tinubu “fell from the sky”, noting that he has no classmates.
Shaibu said, “Waziri Atiku Abubakar only withdrew the case before a Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois County, United States of America because he is pursuing the same matter in a higher court and he wanted to avoid abuse of court processes. So, this is just the beginning.
“In the last one week, Nigerians have been watching the ongoing ministerial screening at the Senate where nominees have been made to reveal their primary, secondary and university history. Some of the ministerial nominees were even classmates with the senators screening them.
“However, the man who nominated them has no educational history. He has no primary school, secondary school or university classmates. This is because he has no classmates. He actually fell from the sky.
“In recent years past Presidents have invited their former classmates to Aso Rock Villa. Even President Muhammadu Buhari hosted his classmates from Katsina Middle School. But who did Bola Tinubu invite to the Presidential Villa? Governors from 1999 set. This is a man whose entire life, background and credentials remain unknown and Atiku will ensure that the man is exposed.
“It is expected that the person to hold the Office of the President must be above board, especially on his life history.
“Unfortunately, here we have a president whose history is shrouded in secrecy and for whom it is as though life started in 1993.
“Even the year 1993 which presents the opening chapter of the recorded history of our president is renowned for a documented indictment on narcotics trading.
“Now, this is 2023 and Atiku is asking to open the shady history of our president and the same man is standing in the way of the truth about his past.
“That very obstruction to the innocent effort to unravel the president’s past means that the man has something to hide.
“It is shameful that the President’s supporters are joyful that their man is covering up his own past.”
“But like the saying goes: falsehood may run for a lifetime, but the truth shall overrun it in an instant.
“The moment of truth is here and President Tinubu has no hiding place,” he added.
It was earlier reported that Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois County, United States of America, dismissed a lawsuit filed by Atiku, to get access to President Tinubu’s confidential educational records at Chicago State University.
Tinubu’s academic qualifications and records have in recent times become a subject of controversy especially when a copy of a sworn affidavit in support of his nomination form for the presidential election, which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), surfaced in the media.
Atiku had filed a suit, seeking to subpoena the university but was said to have, before the date of hearing, withdrawn the case before the court.
However, the Circuit Court papers dated July 31, revealed that Judge Patrick J. Heneghan dismissed the case without prejudice.
“The petitioner’s subpoena in this case is withdrawn and thus Chicago State University will not be deposed pursuant to the subpoena in this case,” the judge held in the judgment.
Justice Heneghan, ruling on the matter said the case was dismissed without prejudice and resolves all matters pending before the court.
