Ahead of May 29, 2023, the day of the presidential inauguration in Nigeria, the political landscape is becoming increasingly dramatic, resembling a thrilling soap opera. From an alleged leaked audio between Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide to an alleged exposé on APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu, suggesting he may hold dual citizenship in Guinea and Nigeria.
Nigerian journalist and publisher of West Africa Weekly, David Hundeyin whose twitter account was locked by Twitter said the document indicating Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s possession of a Guinean Passport proves that he has committed an act of perjury while filling his INEC EC9 declaration deposited with INEC for the presidential contest. Which means lying under oath, and which is against the law.
He said, the president ticked ‘no’ where he was asked about having dual citizenship. He said, there were three or four more instances where the President lied.
“It is regrettable that neither Peter Obi nor Atiku Abubakar has this in their case at the Presidential election tribunal…I hope this will be allowed.”
“Under the Nigerian law, perjury is a serious offence which attracts about 14 years imprisonment.”
In his reaction to the Former Governor of Lagos’ reaction, Babatunde Fashola said, it was no crime for a citizen to have dual citizenship and such doesn’t disqualify the APC Candidate, “I really don’t expect many reactions from the APC…I have published several pieces of evidence of perjury by Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And when I made such a submission in November, there was a loud silence from the APC. I expect them to keep mute.”
He added that Section 38 of the Nigerian constitution suggests that someone with dual citizenship cannot contest for the presidency.
In his reaction that his action against APC may be a personal vendetta, he said, “People can claim whatever they like, all I ask is for anyone to prove that what I have presented is a lie in any way…for all my years of practice, no one has been able to prove me wrong. Is the document authentic or not? That’s what the APC should be responding to.”
He added that the cases against Tinubu bother on his self-inflicted problems, “My grouse is that there’s a connection between the claims from the past, his entire history is mired in a world of controversy and silence, questions around identity theft, false work history claims, false academic history claims. And a diplomatic passport of Guinea, a narco-state…. For someone who has been linked with drug trafficking before…these are questions that must be answered.”