The leader Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, has described how he feels sorry for Nigerians for having a president with a questionable academic record.
Speaking in an interview published by The Punch on Sunday, Adebanjo noted that Nigerians, home and abroad, should be ashamed to have a leader who is embroiled in a certificate scandal.
The leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation said no honest person can defend Tinubu on the controversy surrounding his Chicago State University (CSU) certificate without technicalities.
He said: “There is no truth in what he says. That’s the unfortunate thing. I feel sorry for the country, particularly Tinubu defenders, can they be proud? Whether true or not, why is it him? When they finally produced the record from the university, it was even more damaging.
“When I say I finished from a grammar school, why will you say ‘don’t go ( there to verify)?
“In this Tinubu saga, you presented the certificate from the university, now they are trying to change (the conversation) to his attendance at the university.
“How many people attended the university and never completed it or even dropped out? You said you attended and have the certificate, and the registrar said they don’t know about the certificate. What more do you want?
“This is what makes me sad in this country, and those still saying something in defence of this ugly situation where we should cover our face as Nigerians that the man we produced to be our president has his baggage. I am concerned.”
Adebanjo stated that he had defended Tinubu on the certificate scandal in the past because of the little information he had on the matter at that time.
He said: “Mind you, I should be one of those who should be proud that Tinubu is the president of this country because I made him the governor of Lagos state. When this certificate saga started, I was the one who defended him. I defended him from the fact I saw him at that time. But when some facts are now coming up, I folded my arms.
“Forget technicalities, do the substantial justice. Can any honest person, in view of the exposure from the university, say he (Tinubu) got that certificate from the university?”