Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Publicity, has responded to the recent reports surrounding the name discrepancy on the secondary school certificate submitted by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The revelation that the name “Sadiq Abubakar” appeared on Atiku Abubakar’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate, rather than “Atiku Abubakar,” generated significant political reactions. In response to the controversy, Atiku explained that he used the name “Sadiq Abubakar” during his WAEC examination. After passing the exams, he swore an affidavit to affirm that “Sadiq Abubakar” is the same person as “Atiku Abubakar.”
Atiku stated, “Yes, I used Sadiq Abubakar to sit for my WAEC, and after passing my exams, I went to swear an affidavit to say I am the same person as Atiku Abubakar. I went to ABU as Atiku Abubakar and passed my exams as Atiku Abubakar. Interviewed as Atiku Abubakar by the Federal Civil Service Commission and hired into the Customs Service as Atiku Abubakar. So where is forgery there?”
In response to these developments, Temitope Ajayi questioned why Atiku is pressing for details about Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic background from Chicago State University in the United States when Atiku himself faces uncertainty regarding his own name in Nigeria.
Ajayi took to his official social media handle, saying: “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar went to America to look for President Tinubu’s certificate and to also find out whether he went to school as a female or male, why he himself is not even sure of his own name in Nigeria. The name on the WASC certificate he submitted to INEC reads Sadiq Abubakar. We have never known him as Sadiq, even as a middle name.”
He continued, highlighting Atiku’s explanation: “He has already started explaining himself. The PDP candidate said he swore to an affidavit to declare that he, Atiku Abubakar, is the same person who sat for WASC as Sadiq. The irony here is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar wants us to accept his explanation as the true and correct situation of his case while President Tinubu should not enjoy the same privilege of presenting his own case before Nigerians. This life!”
The controversy surrounding Atiku’s name on his school certificate adds to the already heated political landscape in Nigeria as the 2023 presidential elections draw near.
