A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and legal practitioner, Kalu Kalu, has alleged that the academic credentials of President Bola Tinubu are mired in forgery. Kalu made the accusation on Monday during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
The remarks follow the publication by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of personal particulars and educational qualifications submitted by presidential aspirants. Kalu noted that Tinubu’s filing omitted primary and secondary school details.
“Everything about President Bola Tinubu’s certificate is shrouded in forgery,” Kalu stated. “Today, what do we have in Tinubu’s records? There is no information as to his primary school or his secondary school.”
Kalu referenced documents obtained from Chicago State University after the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, requested the institution’s records. According to Kalu, those documents revealed that Tinubu claimed attendance at Government College, Lagos, with a graduation date of 1970. However, a subsequent verification showed the school was established in 1974, four years after the stated graduation.
“Secondly, from the document released from the Chicago State University, Tinubu submitted a GCE certificate from Cambridge University, which was also found to be false,” Kalu added. “So everything about Tinubu’s certificate is shrouded in forgery.”
Kalu further pointed to a 1999 affidavit in which Tinubu swore he attended St. Paul’s Primary School in Ibadan and Government College, Ibadan. He contrasted that declaration with the absence of any primary or secondary school information in the current INEC submission.
The ADC chieftain’s allegations revive longstanding disputes over the president’s educational background, which featured prominently in legal challenges following the 2023 election. The Chicago State University records were released in 2023 as part of proceedings in a United States court, where Tinubu’s academic file became a subject of public scrutiny.
Neither the presidency nor the All Progressives Congress, APC, has issued a fresh response to Kalu’s latest comments. Previous official statements have dismissed certificate controversies as politically motivated distractions, asserting that Tinubu meets all constitutional requirements for office.
The development underscores persistent demands for transparency in the qualification of public office holders. Analysts say the recurring focus on educational credentials reflects broader concerns about electoral integrity and the verification mechanisms employed by INEC. Further legal or legislative action on candidate vetting processes remains a possibility as stakeholders press for reforms ahead of future election cycles.
