The Chicago State University (CSU) has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the university and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree.
The university said this on Thursday in a statement issued to CBS Broadcasting Incorporation.
However, the university stated that the United States’ federal law, prevents it from providing any further information about Tinubu’s record, without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, had alleged that documents showing that Tinubu graduated from Chicago State in 1979, were fake.
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The former Vice President of Nigeria highlighted it as grounds to nullify Tinubu’s election victory.
It was argued that the certificate was issued in 1979, and signed by university President Elnora Daniel but Daniel didn’t arrive at CSU until 1998 and left about ten years later.
But a CSU spokeswoman said the university could confirm Tinubu graduated.
“As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records. The federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release.
“In August 2023, a request was made to the 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 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.“
“The CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.”
The university explained that it 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.
It added that its response to the request for Tinubu’s academic records has been entirely consistent with their practices, policies, and federal law.
