Popular Abuja based lawyer and former National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Barrister Olukayode Ajulo, has pointed out ex Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as being he who exposed ex Vice President Atiku Abubakar's nationality crisis.
Ajulo, who spoke to a national newspaper as a lawyer of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, declared that being a former Vice President does not automatically qualify the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to contest for the presidency.
Ajulo pointed out that, "it was even former President Olusegun Obasanjo that inspired the thought that Atiku is not Nigerian when he raised the issue of the former Vice President being of ‘dubious parental background’ in his book, ‘My Watch.’
“President Obasanjo," he said, "inspired that thought and this further inspired me to go into research to know who is a Nigerian citizen by birth because if somebody who had not only worked with Atiku but was also the president then can raise this issue of Atiku being of ‘dubious parental background’ in his book, ‘My Watch,’ then there must be more than what meets the eyes."
With the above in view, the popular Abuja based lawyer posited that, "My position is still unchanged, and that is, that Atiku was a vice president is not an automatic qualification to contest for the presidency... and long repetition of wrong occurrences, won’t make it right. In fact, in Australia, one of their members of Parliament had to resign when it was discovered that his nationality was questionable.
Barrister Kayode Ajulo said that he knows the gravity of the matter, therefore the need for him to be cautious. Nonetheless, there is the need to clarify matters and put records straight within the ambit of law.
“As a lawyer, who must be on the right side of the law, I know my limits particularly when a matter is before the court; and as a counsel to one of the parties in the election, whatever I am going to say is going to be circumspect to the point that it will not prejudice the matter before the court.
“It is so clear beyond conjecture that the APC raised a lot of fundamental preliminary objections especially on the claim of Atiku that he has right to be nominated and voted for whereas the constitution has a special condition that to be able to be voted for as the president you must be a Nigerian citizen by birth.
“Yes, it is true that no one should be prejudiced by the circumstances of his birth. However, there is an exception for every right. For example, there is a right to freedom of speech and however this right is still circumscribed by the right of other persons.
“Therefore, your right must be exercised within the ambit of the law. For example, you can’t say you have a right to freedom of movement and then find your way to my bedroom, without authorisation or justification, I will deal with you.
“The constitution stipulates the condition precedent to the right Atiku is laying claim to and I am of the view that he has not, in fact, and cannot, fulfil that condition precedent.”
"In fact, I have contacted the United Nations if actually there is a resolution and if the plebiscite was indeed conducted and up till now the United Nations is yet to reply. Look, there are many things to be said, but it is only wise for us to wait for what the court has to say on this point," Ajulo told the newspaper.
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