TheCable

Olisa Agbakoba, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says debates in the media over President Bola Tinubu’s alleged certificate forgery are heating up the polity.

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last elections, is challenging Tinubu’s victory at the February 25 poll and the verdict of the election tribunal upholding the outcome of the vote.

Abubakar had alleged that Tinubu’s academic records are fraught with discrepancies and forgeries.

His request for the US court for the northern district of Illinois to compel Chicago State University (CSU) to release Tinubu’s academic records has since been granted.

The former vice-president has also applied to file the academic records as fresh evidence at the supreme court.

There have been heated debates in the mainstream and social media over whether or not Tinubu’s academic records are relevant to Atiku’s appeal and if the apex court will admit the fresh evidence.

In a statement issued on Monday, Agbakoba said: “The cacophony of discordant voices on Tinubu/Atiku over the certificate matter is completely out of hand”.

“This utter nonsense from arm chair lawyers is heating up Nigeria dangerously,” he said.

“Please can we keep our opinions and views to ourselves awaiting a decision of the supreme court.

“I’m so ashamed to see lawyers on television arguing one way or the other on the merits or demerits of the Chicago State University matter. This is most unhelpful! 

“I call out all media that tolerate this nonsense of adjudicating the CSU matter on TV and newspapers.”

The senior advocate also urged the president of the NBA to “call out lawyers that breach rules of ethics by turning the media into a court of law”.

“Can we please stop heating up our country!!! Let us allow the supreme court of Nigeria to make a judicial pronouncement which is binding on us all!!!! This public nonsense must stop,” he added.