In a recent development, President Bola Tinubu has attributed glaring anomalies on a reprinted certificate issued by Chicago State University (CSU) to a clerk at the institution. Court documents seen by the Peoples Gazette reveal that Tinubu pointed out the discrepancies, including incorrect graduation dates, signature variations, and logo changes, which have cast a shadow of doubt over the authenticity of the certificate.
Tinubu’s statement, filed on August 23 through his legal representatives, comes as part of his defense before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Nigerian president was granted until August 23 to provide an explanation for the inconsistencies in his academic records at CSU, as requested by Judge Jeffrey Gilbert.
The controversy arose when Mr. Abubakar, an opposition leader, sought to subpoena Tinubu’s files from CSU. Abubakar’s legal team believed that the documents would clarify contradictions in Tinubu’s background, particularly regarding his birth year and educational history. The court filings indicate that publicly available records suggested the admission of a female student named Bola Tinubu with a birthdate of March 29, 1954, contradicting the president’s stated birth year of 1952.
Tinubu’s legal team, led by Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Carmichael, argued that the subpoena issued in August 2022 was illegitimate and emphasized that the documents should not be disclosed due to education privacy rights. They acknowledged that the documents originated from CSU but highlighted errors made by an unnamed clerk, including the incorrect graduation date of June 27, 1979.
Tinubu’s attorneys further underscored alterations in authorized signatories, changes in the school’s logo, and other irregularities on the certificate, all of which contributed to the appearance of wrongdoing.
In response to the allegations, Tinubu’s team contended that Mr. Abubakar’s request for the documents was unfounded since Tinubu’s academic records were not initially part of the litigation surrounding the Nigerian elections. They pointed out that the primary focus of the opposition leader’s argument had been on election-related irregularities.
Tinubu’s lawyers also highlighted that the Nigerian court overseeing the election petitions had concluded its arguments, and a judgment was imminent. According to Nigerian electoral law, a petition’s conclusion is mandated within 180 days, and a verdict is expected by or before September 21.
This stance aligns with CSU’s position on the matter. The university has indicated that it would defer any decisions regarding compliance to Tinubu, its former student.
Angela Marie Liu, the lead attorney for Mr. Abubakar’s legal team based in Chicago, is anticipated to respond to Tinubu’s argument. The response will likely address the admissibility of the documents, considering their non-inclusion in the original Nigerian proceedings and the current stage of the case.
