Obi Support Network presses Tinubu to clear up allegation that threatens his mandate
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
President-elect Bola Tinubu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been urged by the Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) to urgently clarify the controversy over his alleged dual citizenship.
A statement issued by Onwuasoanya Jones of POSN Directorate of Strategic Communications insisted Tinubu must explain to Nigerians if he indeed sought and obtained the citizenship of Guinea Conakry as alleged.
He said this is imperative following a picture of the bio-page of a Guinea Conakry passport belonging to Tinubu, now trending on social media after investigative journalist David Hundeyin shared it on his Twitter handle.
Jones warned Tinubu’s presidential mandate is at risk because the laws of the land are clear about dual citizenship.
Section 137 (1)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution says a person is disqualified for the office of President if, “subject to the provisions of section 28 of this Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, he has made a declaration of allegiance to such other country; or
“(A person who has gone by him(her)self to acquire the citizenship of a country asides from Nigeria or except in situations where the National Assembly has prescribed a person has sworn allegiance to another country.)”
The law does not bar from becoming President, a Nigerian born in a foreign country who naturally has the citizenship of that country in addition to Nigerian citizenship.
It bars only a Nigerian citizen who goes “by him(her)self to acquire the citizenship of a country” in addition to his or her Nigerian citizenship.
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Tinubu’s photo in Guinean passport
“Our attention has been drawn to the bio-page of a Guinea Conakry passport belonging to Bola Tinubu, which has been trending online after popular journalist, David Hundeyin, shared a copy on his Twitter handle,” Jones said in a statement, per Vanguard.
“The passport carried Tinubu’s image, and said it was issued in 2015, expiring five years later in October 2020.
“It is public knowledge how cordial the relationship between the Guinean President, Alhpa Conde, and Tinubu is. Tinubu had publicly claimed credit for helping Conde secure his re-election in October 2015.
“The allegation of dual citizenship against Tinubu has called for the need to investigate the former governor for perjury, as Section 56 of the Penal Code clearly states that whoever, being legally bound by an oath or by any express provision of law to state the truth or being bound by law to make declaration upon any subject, makes any statement, verbally or otherwise, which is false at a material particular and which he either knows or believes to be false or does not believe to be true, is said to give false evidence.”
POSN noted Tinubu did not disclose if he has a Guinean passport in a document he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest for the presidential election.
“With the allegation of dual citizenship against him, it is very expedient for him to respond to the allegation because any political office holder with dual citizenship risks losing his mandate, according to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Tinubu needs to come out as early as possible to clear the air on the allegation of dual citizenship, which puts his alleged presidential mandate controversially declared by the INEC at great risk.”