Chicago Certificate Scandal: Atiku to address Nigerians

Certificate scandal or a case of falsified identity? Either way, Atiku Abubakar isn’t ready to rest on his laurels as he is set to address the nation today.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has scheduled a World Press Conference for today, Thursday, according to a statement by Dele Momodu, one of Atiku’s campaign spokespersons, on Wednesday night.

The purpose of the press conference has not been explicitly stated, but it is widely speculated that it may be related to the recent release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records by Chicago State University (CSU).

It can be recalled that Atiku Abubakar had previously requested these documents to support his allegation of forgery regarding Tinubu’s CSU certificate.

This allegation of forgery had been one of the claims dismissed by the presidential election court during Atiku’s legal challenge to Tinubu’s election victory.

However, Caleb Westberg, who serves as the registrar at Chicago State University, made a statement that has since stirred controversy.

Westberg asserted that Tinubu’s certificate, dated June 22, 1979, and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on June 17, 2022, was not issued by the university or its administrators.

He also clarified that Tinubu had never applied for a replacement certificate nor had one issued to him.

Despite the certificate issue gaining significant media attention in the past 48 hours, Atiku Abubakar has maintained silence on the matter.

In the meantime, several organizations and individuals, especially critics, have called for President Tinubu’s resignation in the wake of this unfolding saga.