Chicago State University: Tinubu was our student — he graduated in 1979

Chicago State University (CSU) says President Bola Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution in 1979.

CSU expressed confidence in its records regarding Tinubu’s “completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate”.

In a statement sent to CBS Broadcasting, an American news network, the US varsity said federal law prevents the institution from providing “any further information” about Tinubu without his consent or court order.

“In August 2023, a request was made in U.S. federal court for the university to provide information related to educational records concerning Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, and a former CSU student,” the statement reads.

“The university has confirmed Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree.

“Federal law, however, prevents us from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.

“CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.

“The university is not a party to the Nigerian legal proceedings that spurred this request, and a U.S. federal judge will determine whether the university will provide further requested information.”

THE CONTROVERSY

Over the past few months, the academic records of Tinubu have been the subject of controversy.

The president’s academic records show that he graduated from CSU in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, and management.

However, there are allegations that the Tinubu who attended CSU is different from the current president of Nigeria.

Amid the controversy, Atiku Abubakar, the opposition presidential candidate, has asked a US district court to subpoena CSU over Tinubu’s academic files.

But Tinubu opposed Abubakar’s application.

THE COURT CASE

In August, Angela Liu, counsel to Abubakar, told the US court that CSU provided two similar certificates indicating that Tinubu attended the institution.

Liu said while the first certificate was signed by three people, the other was signed by two individuals.

The counsel said while one document asserts that Tinubu was issued the certificate on June 22, 1979, another suggests that the president received the degree on June 27, 1979

In a court filing, Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Carmichael, Tinubu’s lawyers, claimed that an unidentified clerk of the university made the error about the date the school stated on his recently-issued certificate, thereby creating “the appearance of differences”.

At the resumption of the hearing this week, Abubakar’s lawyers asked Jeffrey Gilbert of the US district court for the Northern District of Illinois, to compel CSU to turn over Tinubu’s academic documents and appear for depositions.

The judge did not rule on the request.