Former Nigerian Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has addressed allegations and controversy surrounding his use of a different name during his educational and professional history.
After exposing discrepancies in President Bola Tinubu’s educational certificates, Atiku was accused of having a similar issue by supporters of the president.
In a detailed statement released today by one of his spokespersons, Dele Momodu, Atiku clarified the matter. He admitted to using the name “Sadiq Abubakar” during specific phases of his educational journey, particularly when he took the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams.
According to his statement, after successfully passing his exams, he swore an affidavit to confirm that he is the same person as “ATIKU Abubakar”. He claimed that he consistently used “Atiku Abubakar” in all contexts after swearing the affidavit, including during Federal Civil Service Commission interviews. He also emphasized that there was no forgery involved in his educational and professional journey since he maintained a consistent identity under the name “Atiku Abubakar”.
In his own words, “Yes, I used Sadiq Abubakar to sit for my WAEC, and after passing my exams, I went to swear an affidavit to say I am the same person as ATIKU Abubakar. I went to ABU as Atiku Abubakar and passed my Exams as Atiku Abubakar. Interviewed as Atiku Abubakar by the Federal Civil Service Commission and hired into the Customs Service as Atiku Abubakar. So where is forgery there?”