Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally clarify the discrepancies in his academic records.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ibe said it took Abubakar 24 hours to explain the discrepancy in his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate when confronted by critics.
Recall that Abubakar whose WAEC certificate bears “Sadiq” has since sparked forgery allegations on social media.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate explained that he used the name “Sadiq” when he wrote his WAEC in 1968, adding that he later swore an affidavit to declare that “Abubakar Sadiq” and “Atiku Abubakar” are the same person.
Reacting, Ibe said Abubakar’s explanation and display of the affidavit to back his claim “shows an example of an upright man.”
“Every elementary student of Islamic civilization will not find it hard to decipher that both Siddiq and Atiku are names that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) gave to his bosom friend, Caliph Abubakar. Therefore, Siddiq and Atiku are names that have a historical link to one person in Islamic theology.
“Atiku Abubakar, knowing full well the importance of proper documentation, went ahead in 1973, more than 50 years ago to depose to an affidavit that he would wish to be known officially as Atiku Abubakar and still keeps the original copy of that affidavit up to this day.
“However, while it has only taken Atiku less than 24 hours to come out with full disclosure on his public records, President Tinubu has lived behind the veil for more than half of a century,” the statement read.
