President Tinubu’s Academic Records Spark Mixed Reactions

The release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic credentials by Chicago State University, CSU, Atiku Abubakar has elicited mixed reactions.

While some thought the document’s release put an end to the age-old controversy over President  Tinubu’s credentials, others argued it confirmed their contention that the president allegedly submitted falsified documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The release was by the District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division’s order.

Remember that on Saturday, the court ordered the CSU to give President Tinubu’s academic records to Atiku Abubakar, the People Democratic Party’s presidential contender in the 2023 election.

Details of the released documents sought by Atiku Abubakar revealed that the university complied with his request for a true, correct copy of the diploma for the Bachelor of Science degree issued in 1979 and Bates labelled as CSU 0001 through 0007 with an obscured student’s name, citing privacy concerns.

The institution, on the other hand, stated that it did not have a true and correct copy of the diploma it issued to Tinubu in 1979 since it did not preserve copies of certificates.

The university said, “CSU does not in the ordinary course keep copies of student diplomas, and after diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr Tinubu in 1979, hence has no documents responsive to this request.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar said President Tinubu’s administration cannot waste time on such “trivial matters.”

Tuggar said that the controversy does not cast a shadow on some of the president’s recent international engagements.

“There is a tendency to always try to distract people on such frivolous issues as opposed to facing the major issues of development. We don’t have time to waste on that,” he said.

Also, the Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi reacted via his social media handle and said:

For me, the issue is not whether President Tinubu graduated from Chicago State University or not. It is the fact that former Vice President Atiku is not a decent man.

Nobody should subject his or her friend to the level of assault and indignity he has subjected President Tinubu…

— Temitope Ajayi (@TheTope_Ajayi) October 3, 2023