Accusations have surfaced against Atiku Abubakar, alleging the fabrication of his primary and secondary school certificates in a bid to vie for the presidency in the 2023 election. These claims were asserted by President Bola Tinubu, who is concurrently entangled in a certificate scandal with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate concerning Tinubu’s academic records at the Chicago State University.
In an attempt to secure Tinubu’s disqualification at the Supreme Court, Atiku is facing these allegations. As part of his counter affidavit submitted on October 12, Tinubu contends that Atiku submitted counterfeit certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). According to President Tinubu, Atiku is purported to have used the names “Atiku Kojoli” on his primary school certificate and “Siddiq Abubakar” on both his 1965 West African School Certificate and General Certificate of Examination (WASSCE).
It was previously reported that Atiku legally regularized his name from Siddiq Abubakar to Atiku Abubakar. However, there seems to be no clear explanation for the other name, “Atiku Kojoli.”
Tinubu asserts that there is no guarantee that Atiku is the man he says he is due to the inconsistencies in the names on his primary and secondary school certificates.
“It is the 1st appellant’s acclaimed primary school certificate bearing the name “Atiku Kojoli” and his purported 1965 West African School Certificate and General Certificate of Examination bearing the name “Siddiq Abubakar” (as opposed to the name “Atiku Abubakar”, which he claims to Nigerians and INEC to be his) that are yet to be explained by Jeda Primary School Adamawa (which he claimed to have attended), the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, West African Examination Council or such other credible institution with the capacity to so do.
“Now shown to me, attached hereto and marked as Exhibit 9, is a copy of the said Siddiq Abubakar’s 1965 West African School Certificate and General Certificate of Examination, submitted by the 1st appellant,” Tinubu said.