The Atiku Media Office has responded to allegations made by the presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) about former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s name change. The office released a statement in Abuja, emphasizing that Atiku Abubakar’s name change from Siddiq Abubakar was documented in an affidavit dated August 18, 1973, spanning over 50 years and is in the public domain.
The statement also accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of being a “confirmed forger-in-chief,” alleging that he has a history of forgeries and lies throughout his life. It was pointed out that Tinubu’s records at the Chicago State University, which were recently discovered, are only a glimpse into his alleged forgeries and lies. The statement further claimed that Tinubu had lied under oath in his form CF001 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1999, stating false information about his educational background, including attending St Paul’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos, Government College Ibadan, Chicago University (CU), and Chicago State University (CSU). The statement concluded that Tinubu had forged various certificates and transcripts.
This response was part of a wider political context where both sides were accusing each other of wrongdoing, and the statement aimed to counter the allegations against Atiku Abubakar while implicating President Tinubu in similar accusations.