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Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has expressed his concerns regarding the recent order from a United States court directing Chicago State University to release the academic records of President Bola Tinubu to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. He described this development as a national disgrace.
In response to the court order on his official social media accounts, Chidoka emphasized his worry about the failure of key Nigerian institutions, including the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC, to uncover the truth about President Tinubu’s academic history. He questioned why this responsibility had to fall on Atiku.
Chidoka went on to state that if it were eventually revealed that the President had forged his academic certificates, it would be a shameful moment for the leadership and relevant institutions of the country.
He stated:
“The US Court Proceedings On Order Directing Discovery from CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY: A National Embarrassment
I speak as a Nigerian. That it took the courageous activism of HE. Abubakar Atiku to force the discovery of information concerning the President of Nigeria is a disgrace to our national institutions.
As a nation, we have a full retinue of staff at the Department of the State Security, the National Intelligence Agency, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Embassy of Nigeria with the full complement of staff in Washington DC and the Nigerian Judiciary that have variously ruled on matters concerning President Tinubu’s academic qualifications. Yet, we cannot have a definitive conclusion about whether he has the academic qualifications he claimed he had or not. Disgraceful.
That all the aforementioned institutions allowed a man to be sworn in without definitive statements about his qualifications is a national tragedy.”
Chidoka further stressed the importance of ensuring that individuals seeking the office of the President undergo thorough background checks to safeguard the nation’s interests, both morally and strategically. He called for a constitutional amendment to expedite electoral cases before the assumption of office, highlighting the current damage to Nigeria’s reputation due to the ongoing foreign court proceedings related to a Nigerian President.
Chidoka urged for transparency in the electoral process, the introduction of measures to prevent obvious infractions, and reforms in the judiciary to enhance public oversight of judicial officers. He concluded by expressing his hope that this challenging situation could serve as an opportunity for the Nigerian state to uphold the values of truth and justice, as depicted in the second stanza of the old national anthem.
