By Ishaya Ibrahim
A group, United Global Resolve for Peace (UGRFP) wants the National Assembly to wade into the allegation that President Bola Tinubu presented a forged Chicago State University certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku, a major political opponent of Tinubu, had approached a U.S. court to force the Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s educational records.
The records showed discrepancy in Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate with uncollected samples from his 1979 cohorts.
The records also showed Tinubu having an American citizenship as against his declaration in INEC’s form.
More troubling was that he graduated from Government College, Lagos in 1970 when the school only came into existence in 1974.
There is also a gender disparity in Tinubu’s pre-admission records which showed female in the South West College transcript he used in gaining admission into Chicago State University.
With all the confusion in Tinubu’s records, the group asked the National Assembly to order an investigation into the records not only as a matter of justice but a commitment to the rule of law and transparency.
Chairman of UGRFP, Shalom Olaseni, made the demand in a statement on Thursday, September 5.
Olaseni stated that leaving the issue unaddressed had the potential to cast shadows over the country’s image regionally and globally and that allowing the controversy to persist had extensive implications.
“The UGRFP further implores the National Assembly, as the embodiment of Nigeria’s legislative authority, to approach this matter with the utmost seriousness. A thorough, impartial, and expeditious investigation is not only a matter of justice but a demonstration of our commitment to the rule of law and transparency,” Olaseni noted.
The group further cautioned against incendiary and ill-motivated antics by some elements to use the issue to settle political scores against the President.
It asserted that Nigeria’s reputation, both domestically and internationally, hinges on citizens’ collective ability to address the allegations surrounding President Tinubu’s certificate with absolute transparency and integrity.
The group, however, called on the President to address Nigerians and provide ‘irrefutable evidence’ to validate the authenticity of his educational qualification acquired from the CSU, while noting that it was imperative for the sustenance of trust and confidence in the nation’s leadership.
He also noted that some reactions to the controversy surrounding the allegedly forged school certificate of the President from the Chicago State University were alarming and held the danger of letting the matter be undermined by “caricature, bants and vindictive motives”, hence the need to safeguard the reputation and credibility of Nigeria.
Olaseni added, “We note with growing concerns how allegations of President Tinubu presenting a forged school certificate from Chicago State University to the Independent National Electoral Commission has ignited a whirlwind of media attention, both locally and on the international stage. UGRFP recognizes that such allegations are grave and, if left unaddressed, have the potential to cast a long shadow over Nigeria’s image, both regionally and globally.
“The President, as a custodian of our national leadership, owes it to the Nigerian people to provide irrefutable evidence that validates the authenticity of his claimed educational qualifications. Transparency is not a mere expectation; it is an imperative for the sustenance of trust and confidence in our leadership.
“By failing to address allegations of this magnitude, President Tinubu risks sending a message that integrity and accountability can be compromised with impunity, thereby undermining the very foundation of Nigeria’s democracy.”
