Atiku’s International Address to Clarify the Tinubu CSU Certificate Controversy

The flagbearer of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar will address issues bordering on the released academic records of President Bola Tinubu.

This was contained in the press conference invitation. It reads, “This is to inform and invite you to the World Press Conference of Our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, GCON, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Tomorrow, Thursday 5, October 2023, in the afternoon.

“The exact time will be communicated shortly. Please endeavour to attend. Thank You.”

Recall that Atiku had secured the release of Tinubu’s education records from the Chicago State University (CSU)  through a court subpoena, against the disclosure by the President. He had, however, remained quiet since the release of the documents.

Tinubu’s released records: A solution or a problem?

The released records, which came first on the 3rd of October showed that the 1979 CSU certificate Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was different from samples of the certificates the University issued to students that same year.

Speaking under oath, the CSU Registrar said he could not authenticate the certificate Tinubu presented to INEC.

Atiku had requested the documents to back his allegation of forgery of the CSU certificate against Mr Tinubu. The allegation of forgery was one of those dismissed by Nigeria’s presidential election court in the suit Atiku filed to challenge the election of Mr Tinubu.

What you need to know

The university presented a cache of documents connected to Tinubu’s education at the institution and copies of certificates with redacted names issued to other persons at about the same time the Nigerian president finished from the school in 1979 to Atiku’s legal team on Monday.

The documents include Tinubu’s admission records, and a letter dated 27th June 2022 confirming that he attended the university from August 1977 to June 1979 majoring in accounting. 

The letter disclosed that Tinubu was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Honours on 22 June 1979.