Group Demands Atiku Resolve Citizenship Before Challenging Tinubu

A rights group known as The Progressive Counsel (TPC) has publicly challenged Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), urging him to resolve the lingering controversy surrounding his own citizenship before he attempts to question President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eligibility for the upcoming 2027 election. This call was made by the group, which consists of human rights lawyers, forensic auditors, and policy analysts, following a recent meeting held in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.

TPC accused the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, of misdirecting his efforts and energy towards what the group described as a “non-existent case of drug conviction” against President Tinubu. In an official statement titled “Atiku Must Face the Constitutional Mirror,” signed by its convener, Maiyegun Oloriegbe, TPC emphasized that Atiku cannot demand meticulous scrutiny of President Tinubu’s credentials while significant questions pertaining to his own citizenship remain unaddressed.

The group explicitly stated, “Before Atiku Abubakar challenges President Tinubu’s eligibility for 2027, by digging up a non-existent case of drug conviction against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he must first answer the citizenship question hanging over his own head.” TPC further highlighted Section 131 of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates that a presidential candidate must be a Nigerian citizen by birth. The group then raised specific questions regarding Atiku’s reported birthplace of Jada, noting that it was historically part of British Cameroons at the time of his birth.

According to The Progressive Counsel, Atiku’s authorized biography, “Atiku: The Story of Atiku Abubakar,” published in 2006, clearly states that he was born in Jada in 1946. This was prior to the territory’s integration into Nigeria, which occurred after the 1961 plebiscite. TPC also recalled that the citizenship issue had previously been brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja, but the case was ultimately terminated on procedural grounds, specifically due to a lack of locus standi, rather than being deliberated on its substantive merits.

“Yet the same Atiku now races to court to put Tinubu under the microscope. He demands forensic examination of the President’s documents, records and history. Fine. Let the courts hear him. But justice is not a one-way street; the man who demands the microscope must stand under it himself,” the statement added, underscoring the principle of reciprocal accountability. TPC firmly maintained that neither President Tinubu nor Atiku Abubakar is exempt from the dictates of the Constitution, arguing against the automatic acceptance of allegations, foreign documents, or Freedom of Information Act disclosures as definitive proof of constitutional disqualification without a proper judicial determination.

Moreover, the group issued a caution against transforming the 2027 election into what it termed a “permanent courthouse campaign.” TPC urged all political actors to redirect their focus and attention towards crucial national issues such as the economy, insecurity, employment, infrastructure development, and leadership. The group reiterated, “Atiku has every right to challenge Tinubu, but he has no right to demand that only Tinubu faces the constitutional mirror while his own credentials remain untouchable,” employing the adage that “what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.” In conclusion, The Progressive Counsel called upon the courts to resolve legal questions efficiently, while emphasizing that the ultimate decision of the country’s leadership should rest with Nigerian citizens at the ballot box, ensuring no candidate is treated above or beneath the protection of the Constitution.