The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo has said that the allegation of certificate forgery against President Bola Tinubu by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar holds no water.
Speaking on Sunday, Keyamo noted that the Chicago State University has not denied the authenticity of the certificate being paraded by Tinubu nor is there any forensic report that the certificate is fake or altered, hence Atiku has no basis for his claims.
He argued that except the vendor who issued the replacement certificate on behalf of CSU also denies its authenticity, the responsibility remains on Atiku to prove his allegation.
Keyamo who boasted about his legal background said the only choice Atiku has is to fish out the vendor involved in Tinubu’s certificate scandal to be able to verify its authenticity or otherwise and prove his allegation of forgery, adding that they are ready to meet the former Vice President and his lawyers at the Supreme Court.
While arguing that Tinubu is clean, the Minister also highlighted the difference between the current controversy regarding President Tinubu’s academic records and the academic credentials of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Taking to his account on the X platform, Keyamo wrote: “When some comments or perception of otherwise plain and simple issues are so moronic, mischievous or downright odious, they really do not deserve a response because you’d be dignifying idiocy. But let me drop this here for posterity:
“I have been a defence and prosecution lawyer at the highest level in criminal trials for more than 30 years. YOU CANNOT ALLEGE OR PROVE FORGERY EXCEPT THE PURPORTED MAKER OF THE DOCUMENT DENIES ITS AUTHENTICITY OR THERE IS UNCONTRADICTED EVIDENCE OF A FORENSIC REPORT THAT CATEGORICALLY SAYS THE DOCUMENT WAS DELIBERATELY ALTERED OR CONCOCTED BY THE PERSON WHO UTTERED (in a legal sense) OR ISSUED IT.
Applying this principle to the case of Atiku Abubakar V Chicago State University, so long as the University openly said THEY DO NOT ISSUE REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATES, BUT THAT VENDORS DO SO ON THEIR BEHALF, all these noise about so-called forgery are useless until THE PARTICULAR VENDOR THAT ISSUED the replacement certificate to @officialABAT denies its authenticity. And it is the duty of the accuser to fish out the said vendor and get that evidence. It is not the other way round. He who alleges must prove.
“This is the simple principle I laid down in 2019 during our defence of President Buhari that has been so mischievously celebrated as if they have hit the bull’s eye. Unfortunately for them, @officialABAT is as clean and white as snow on this issue and we are again waiting for them at the Supreme Court.”