How I Overcame Toronto Certificate Scandal —Tinubu Written by Kunle Awosiyan, Lagos Saturday, 19 June 2010 Former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, has attributed his victory over allegation of certificate forgery to the brilliance and firmness of former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. Tinubu said, at the launching of a book, “Contemporary issues in Nigerian constitutional law,” a series of essays compiled in honour of Osinbajo on Friday, that but for Osinbajo, his political career would have nosedived. According to Tinubu: “The capability and firmness of Osinbajo in my time of travail made me to triumph against every plan by my detractors to destroy my image and career.” It will be recalled that the late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, prosecuted Tinubu over certificate forgery during his first tenure as governor between 1999 and 2003. However, while speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the book launch, Tinubu said that he would have been nailed for the offence he did not commit if Osinbajo was not available to defend him. “Osinbajo brought his knowledge of constitutional law and stood by me even at the time when some of my commissioners were planning to resign from the cabinet. He indulged my politics and allowed it to flourish in the face of detractors,” he said. He added that Osinbajo was the best decision he ever made in his political career, describing him as the biggest weapon in his political armoury. “Osinbajo encouraged me to create 37 Local Council Development Areas with his astounding knowledge of constitutional law. I could challenge the Federal Government because of the capability of the professor of law,” Tinubu said.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 20:18:21 +0000