The former chieftain of the party, who made this call in a statement in Abuja, said the US government should see the step as a way of promoting transparency and stopping criminality in Nigeria.
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Wednesday, urged the United States Of America government to release President Bola Tinubu’s credentials and records at Chicago University.
The former chieftain of the party, who made this call in a statement in Abuja, said the US government should see the step as a way of promoting transparency and stopping criminality in Nigeria.
Frank also berated President Tinubu over his reluctance to allow his record at the Chicago University to be released for public scrutiny and assessment. He said that Tinubu, as a public servant, ought not to seek to stop his academic records from being made public in a law court.
President Tinubu had submitted a motion to preclude a US Federal Court from disclosing his university academic records to Mr Atiku Abubakar, the opposition candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 elections, as solicited by the latter.
Furthermore, Mr Frank expressed his discontentment with the US' alleged double standards, whereby measures and appeals that are taken earnestly within their nation are treated differently from when it involves an African country like Nigeria.
Frank’s statement reads: “Barely two days after former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) approached the State District Court for the Northern District of Illinois subpoenaed the Chicago State University to release the records of Tinubu, it is rather shocking that the President has countered the request by filling a counter motion to restrain the Court from releasing his academic records to the petitioner.
“What seems to be more worrisome is the idea that a sitting President who had sworn to uphold the integrity and sanctity of the Presidential office would attempt to muzzle an independent judiciary of the United States through acts of coercion or frivolous motions unknown to the Justice Department.
“However, it is noteworthy to reiterate that the Justice system of the United States isn’t one that is amenable to coercion, intimidation, subjugation or any other form of compromise as demonstrated clearly from recent events concerning the former President of the US (Donald Trump) who is being made to answer various charges concerning his conduct while in office.
“What are you hiding in the Chicago University? If you are proud of your credentials, tell the University you claimed to have attended to release your academic information to Nigeria as requested by Atiku.
“This is simply the right thing to do because when a subpoena has been issued, it’s meant to be honoured anywhere.
“For anybody who wants to lead Nigeria, you should be able to surrender yourself to Nigerians for scrutiny as that is the minimum standard expected and I’m aware Alh. Atiku is not doing anything extraordinary against the law.
“This is the very reason we believe the US court must throw out your (Tinubu’s) appeal and give your academic information to Nigeria.”
He added: “The US must not be seen to protect any high profile Nigerian or any Nigerian that is holding public office. That is their duty, to do the right thing the same way they are doing the right thing in America.
“Today, the world and everybody is watching how Trump is being treated and investigated from one court to another.
“Trump’s information is being released by the CIA and the FBI in America for people to see what he has done.
“So if they can do that in America to Trump who is a former president, then why is the United States today aiding and abetting criminality in Nigeria by refusing to release unclassified documents permitted by its freedom of information law? Whatever is good for America must also be good for Nigeria.”
"It is because of acts of complacency and deliberate connivance with individuals who have run foul of the system and taken advantage of compromised individuals that Nigeria and indeed the majority of African countries are turning to China and Russia who are believed to be strict and non-compromising.
“The United States is playing politics with the destiny of Nigeria because of their interest, but if they are not careful they will do untold damage to their image in Africa.
“The United States is losing its credibility in Nigeria and Africa because of issues like this because when it has to do with Africans, they will know something is wrong, but because of their personal interests, they will underplay it the way it cannot be done in their own country,
“Is it not too much for Nigeria to demand from the authorities of the United States that we need the academic credentials of our president that they know is illegally occupying the office? This is the same man that has been fingered in several criminal cases in America.
“In America, can you do this to your taxpayers? When taxpayers in America demand for any information, including that of a sitting president, it will be provided because they know that a public officer in America, is answerable to the citizens," he added.