Former aviation minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Osita Chidoka has urged President Bola Tinubu to resign over the certificate controversy he is currently enmeshed in.
Chidoka was reacting to the recent deposition by an official of the Chicago State University (CSU), where he said the certificate tendered by Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission before the 2023 elections was not from the school.
Speaking on the Arise News Primetime programme, Chijoka, who expressed shock and disappointment at the disclosure, said it was a national embarrassment that should not be swept under the carpet.
He called on the president to immediately resign from office to save the country from further embarrassment.
He also urged the Supreme Court to put aside needless legalism and technicality in handling pending petitions regarding Tinubu’s presidency.
The PDP chieftain warned that ignoring the established forgery case against Tinubu would only spell doom for the country.
His words: “We are going to submit it to the Supreme Court; whether they will accept it is a question for them.
“I think this is beyond legalism; I don’t think Nigeria as a country should be discussing whether the Supreme Court would accept it; we are internationally embarrassed; we are going to be the centre of international conversation.
“The Supreme Court would be doing itself and the country a great disservice if it does not take judicial notice of what the CSU disposition has done.”
Chijoka also argued that forgery and perjury were grounds for disqualification, as stipulated in Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He said regarding Tinubu, “Firstly, he swore to an oath that he did not attend primary and secondary school, claiming only the CSU certificate; once you tendered that.
“If the CSU certificate was not genuine, it then means there’s nothing to fall back to. He then doesn’t meet the requirements for the office of the president of Nigeria, which requires school certificates in the minimum or any other certificates.”
