The controversy surrounding the real age of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, took a shocking twist on social media after a United States Court released documents showing that he was 58 years old in 1993 when he stood trial for his drug dealing, money laundering case in Chicago.
On social media, netizens called the attention of Nigerians to the document which have been trending for a few days now.
@Lara Matthew wrote: “It is now clear that Tinubu is 87 years old and not the 70 he claims.”
@JaroMark wrote: “Tinubu has been lying to us all this while. We hope he regrets this.”
Meanwhile, in a related story, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, reacted to the wide reports of Tinubu’s criminal forfeiture as it called for his disqualification in the forthcoming presidential election.
According to the PDP, Tinubu remains ineligible to contest the presidential elections by virtue of section 127 section (1)(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
The PDP, however, called on INEC not to succumb to any form of blackmail of the APC but to deliver good judgement and disqualify Bola Ahmed Tinubu from contesting the presidential elections.
Part of PDP’s statement shared via its official Twitter handle reads: “It is no longer news that the Presidential Candidate of the @OfficialAPCNg, @officialABAT is irredeemably and hopelessly ineligible to contest the February 2023 Presidential election having been reportedly indicted and subjected to criminal forfeiture judgement for a narcotic related offence by a United States Court in Northern Illinois
“Nigerians are however appalled by the lame attempt by the @OfficialAPCNg Presidential Campaign which, after admitting that there was a $460,000 drug money criminal forfeiture judgment against accounts traced to the @OfficialAPCNg Presidential Candidate, is now desperately trying to pull a wool over the eyes of the Nigerians people and our democracy institutions.
“The @OfficialAPCNg must note that its schemes, denials, threats and resort to violence cannot help @officialABAT. By the provision of Section 137 (1) (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) @officialABAT is not eligible to contest the Presidential election in Nigeria.
“Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that:(1) A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if: (d) He is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence, imposed on him by ANY COURT or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal (as amended) seek office as President of Nigeria.”
According to Peoples Gazette, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois had released the documents of Bola Tinubu’s encounter with American authorities over allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
The development comes against the backdrop of Nigerians’ inquisition on Tinubu’s involvement in illegal cases which saw him forfeit up to $460,000 to American authorities in 1993.
Further reports say the 56-page document released by the district court’s headquarters in Chicago obtained on August 10 shows that Mr Tinubu and two others named K.O. Tinubu and Alhaji Mogati were involved in banking proceeds of illicit drugs and money laundering with Heritage Bank and Citibank.
