Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for president in the most recent elections, claims that a deposition from more than 50 years ago contains clear documentation of his name change.
The former vice president claimed that President Bola Tinubu is trying to drag him into “his drowning arena of forgery” in a statement released on Sunday by his spokesperson, Paul Ibe.
Abubakar clarified the inconsistency in the name on his West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) certificate, which has “Siddiq” on it, on October 10.
The development occurs while Tinubu is accused of forging certificates.
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Describing Tinubu as a “forger-in-chief”, Abubakar said the president “has forged and lied about every aspect of his life, including “his heritage, name and date of birth, his education and certificates, and work experience”.
“Contrary to Bola A. Tinubu’s forgery shopping allegation against Atiku, it is on record that the change of name of the former vice president reverting to Atiku Abubakar from Siddiq Abubakar is well documented in an affidavit dated 18th of August 1973, spanning over a period of 50 years, (which incidentally is as old as the commencement of Tinubu’s life of forgeries and lies), is in the public domain,” the statement reads.
Abubakar further stated that all the names he bears “are names that are traceable to his family tree”.
“He adopted Atiku Abubakar as his official name while in the employ of the Nigeria Customs Service,” the statement added.
“Atiku’s life is an open book, and not the mystery or closed book that continues to define the life of Bola A. Tinubu.
“Conversely, Bola A Tinubu is a name that has no history nor social acquaintance until the late 1970s.
“We, therefore, urge Bola A. Tinubu and his handlers to desist from making any further attempt at comparing the career forger known as Bola A. Tinubu with an impeccable name that Atiku Abubakar has built over the years.”
Abubakar is challenging the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 poll and the judgment of the tribunal that upheld the president’s victory on September 6.
The PDP candidate has consistently alleged that Tinubu’s educational records are fraught with discrepancies and forgeries.
His request for the US court for the northern district of Illinois to compel Chicago State University (CSU) to release Tinubu’s academic records has since been granted.
