There Is Nothing Controversial About My Past

• Pres. TINUBU Replies Critics

There is possibly no day in the country that one story or the other about the president will not make headline news. Either for good or for bad, the man is always in the news. The anti-Tinubu forces, the opposition, make sure they throw up something controversial about the man they all love to hate. Indeed, if there is one president in this country that many have described as the most controversial, it is the current president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Everything about him, it appears, courts controversy. His birth place, his date of birth, even his name, they have all been enmeshed in various controversies. Yet, none of these controversies have seen a logical conclusion to them.

And it didn’t start today. This has been the pattern with the Jagaban eversince he emerged Governor of Lagos state in 1999. He has known no rest ever since he won the 1999 Lagos State governorship election. And this pattern continued with him twenty years after when he became the president of Nigeria.

Before he could barely settle down for his first term in office as governor of Lagos State, the controversy about his true identity sprung up. Some individuals who obviously were not comfortable with the momentum his political career was enjoying suddenly claimed his real name was not Tinubu. The man says his name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a proud son of the illustrious Tinubu family. But his haters say no, that is not his real name. They claim they know his real name and it is Amoda Ogunlere. This controversy has been on for years and till date nobody, no one has been able to bring forward any document that proves that his name is indeed Amoda Ogunlere.

One big controversy about the president that has been running for as long as anyone can remember is the one about his age. While he was governor of Lagos State, this came up repeatedly. It also came up recently when Atiku Abubakar of the PDP challenged Tinubu’s Chicago State University Certificate. The man says he was born in March 29, 1952 but the anti-Tinubu forces say no, he was not born in 1952 but long before then. They insist he is older than both Obasanjo and former president Buhari. They have no particular date to put forward as his actual date of birth, but they swear he is not less than 86 years old! And till date, they have not been able to come forward with any document that will show that, true to their claims, the man was not born in 1952.

Another controversy that has been out there in the public domain for a long time is the claim by some people that he is not from Lagos State as he claims. These anti-Tinubu crusaders who seem to know more about his background than he does, insist he is from Iragbiji in Osun State. They say that’s where he was born and raised and even schooled there. They are often loud and vociferous about this, like they have no doubts in their minds they know what they’re talking about. But to this very day, no one has come out with any proof of this claim.

The controversy about the president’s last name, Tinubu, is one that has also been raging for decades running. Again, the president’s political enemies say he is not being a member of the Tinubu family. And despite the fact that no member of the Tinubu family has come out to say otherwise, this controversy has not ceased to exist. And the people behind it have not backed down from this claim either. Even his educational background has been a constant source of controversy. The president says he graduated from Chicago State University but his detractors say he did not, despite the School’s Registrar stating under oath that he indeed graduated from the institution with honours.

His health has over the years been a subject of discuss. Some claim he has Parkinson’s disease but has hidden the fact from the public. Before the election, there were questions as to whether at his age and speculated ill health he was fit to run for president, considering the rigours associated with running the office. But the then presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, replied his critics with a few seconds video showing him working out on a stationery exercise bike.

And he added on his Tweeter page, “Many have said I have died; others claim I have withdrawn from the presidential campaign. Well… Nope. This is the reality: I am strong, I am healthy, and I am READY to serve Nigerians from Day One,” he said.

He has also said he is more than healthy to lead Nigeria if elected President. Tinubu, addressing the Kano Business Community Council, which organised a dinner in his honour in the state, said he was not fighting a wrestling but running for the Presidency.

The former Lagos State Governor said he was smarter than those who accused him of ill health. He said in a video clip, “Some ignorant people, I’ve been standing before you, I’m not running for hundred yards or 500 yards hurdle.

“I’m running for the presidency. I’m not competing in WWE wrestling. Even if I go out there and they say (he is) sick, I’m standing before you. Do I look like a sick man?” Few months ago, just before the presidential election held, at an interactive session held at Chatham House in UK, the president responded to a lot of these controversial allegations. He was clear about the fact there is nothing controversial about his past other than the fact some people are merely trying to fabricate controversies where there are none.

Regarding his date of birth, during his appearance at Chatham House in London, United Kingdom, Tinubu, in response to a question about the contradictions surrounding his early life, Tinubu referred to the enquiry as “inquisitive” and responded, “At the time of birth, I was dated March 29, 1952.”

He said, “I’ve had a very good exposure in life, my record is consistent in the school, in the university, they (critics) are now convinced that they wasted their money and their time. The record is there, the transcript is there showing March 1952.”

The former Lagos Governor dared anyone to approach him and request a DNA test while claiming to be a legitimate member of the Tinubu family. And with regards to his being a member of the Tinubu family, he responded: “I am not claiming another father, I am Tinubu and Tinubu proper. If they want DNA, they could as well request it from us. One of them has even been accused of not being a Nigerian citizen. I didn’t touch that area.”

Concerning the controversy over his Chicago State University degree, he has this to say: “Equally, it remains the same, Deloitte, Chicago State University, where I graduated from, has attested to that. “Now, I can announce that I have received my original replacement degree certificate from them.”

It will be almost wishful thinking by followers and loyalists of the president to expect that, despite the repeated denials and explanations by the president these controversies will go away. They won’t. This is because, for as long as the president remains in office, the controversies, the unfounded allegations will continue to  come up courtesy of opposition and political arch rivals.

– WALE LAWAL

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