Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2023 election, has stated that history would vindicate him.
Atiku made the remark on Monday while addressing the press after the Supreme Court judgement affirming Bola Tinubu as duly elected Nigerian President.
Chronicle NG reported last week that the apex court dismissed the appeals by Atiku and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi.
At the press conference, Atiku said, “At a critical point in my political life, I always chose the path of truth, morality, and the rule of law. History will vindicate me.
“When I joined politics, the critical challenge was kicking the military out of power so that civilian governance could be restored in Nigeria.
“It later became a defining struggle, and as one of the leaders of that struggle, I was targeted for elimination. Nine policemen guarding my house in Kaduna were murdered in an attempt to assassinate me. I was also forced into exile for nine months because of that incident.”
Elaborating on why he filed a lawsuit against Tinubu on his academic credentials, the former Vice President said, “It is not about me; it is about our country, Nigeria, and the future. It is about the kind of society we want to leave for the next generation and what kind of example we want to set for our children. It is about the reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians in the eyes of the world.
“We showed evidence that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the presidential election because he forged the qualifying academic certificate.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
