The Inspector-General of Police on Saturday has been asked to arrest the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu within 48hours over an alleged certificate scandal.
The Center for Reform and Public Advocacy (CPRA) made the call on Saturday in Abuja
Recall that Tinubu claimed that his school certificates were stolen by unknown persons during the military rule in 1990.
The former governor of Lagos State stated this in an affidavit submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of his eligibility filings for the 2023 presidential elections.
The APC national leader has had to face some legal hurdles over his qualifications for the 2023 presidential election. He once admitted there were errors in his INEC filings in 1999, but the issues were later addressed.
In a document seen by DAILY GIST, It was learnt that that Tinubu left the columns for his primary and secondary education unmarked.
Tinubu, however, noted that he obtained a degree in business and administration in 1979 at the Chicago State University.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, the Legal Adviser of the CRPA, Agu Kalu, urged the police boss to arrest and prosecute Tinubu for allegedly supplying false academic qualifications to secure the nomination.
Kalu threatened that should the IGP fail to act, court action would be instituted against him for an order of mandamus to compel him to effect the arrest of Tinubu at the end of the ultimatum.
He alleged that the former Lagos State governor was not legally qualified to become the next President of Nigeria in 2023 on grounds of supplying false information on oath in his form EC 9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Kalu added that in the event Buhari and IG failed to do the needful, the group in conjunction with other civil groups will approach a court of law for judicial review and order of mandamus to order the IG to do the needful.
The activist said that in the event that he was found to have made false allegations against Tinubu, the Police should arrest him and charge him to court appropriately.
He explained that the position of his group for the arrest of Tinubu was not politically motivated but predicated on the need for good governance and transparent leadership Nigeria deserved in the 2023 general election.
He said, “We wrote a petition to the IG on June 16, demanding the prosecution of Tinubu for providing false information on oath in his INEC form CF 001 which he submitted in 1999.
“Since the IG is yet to act on the petition, we are using this press conference to call on the IG to do the needful, he is not above the law, nobody is above the law, Sections 191 and 192 makes it a criminal offence to provide false information on oath.
“We are also calling on President Buhari to direct the IG to arrest and prosecute Tinubu for perjury, it is a very serious issue.”
