Chicago State University Affirms Tinubu’s Attendance and Graduation in 1979 

The Chicago State University (CSU) has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the university and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree.

This information was disclosed in a statement provided to CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly known as CBS News, a major American news network. However, CSU emphasised that U.S. federal law prevents them from disclosing further details about Tinubu’s academic record without his consent or a court order.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, had previously raised concerns about the authenticity of documents claiming Tinubu’s graduation from Chicago State in 1979, using them as a basis to challenge Tinubu’s election victory.

The 1979 certificate, which was signed by Elnora Daniel when she was the university president, has been called into question. Notably, Daniel assumed the presidency at CSU in 1998, serving for approximately a decade before departing. Atiku has asserted that submitting falsified records to the National Election Commission prior to the vote should invalidate the election.

During a recent hearing in Chicago, Atiku’s legal team requested a federal judge to compel CSU officials to provide Tinubu’s academic documents and participate in depositions. Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois did not make a ruling on this request.

CSU’s attorney, Michael Hayes, informed Gilbert that the university couldn’t provide a sworn certification for Tinubu’s diploma. A CSU spokeswoman clarified that the university could confirm Tinubu’s graduation but could not authenticate the diploma since it was considered a ceremonial document and not part of a student’s official academic record.

The Presidential Election Petition Court earlier this month dismissed Atiku’s attempt to overturn Tinubu’s victory. Despite this, Atiku is persisting in contesting Tinubu’s academic records in Chicago.

However, CSU issued a statement to CBS explaining that federal law, specifically FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), safeguards student record privacy, limiting what the university can disclose.