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A lawyer representing the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has made an allegation, claiming that President Bola Tinubu submitted a counterfeit degree certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the presidential election.
The attorney, Kalu Kalu, made this statement on Thursday during a press conference hosted by Atiku, following the release of the President’s academic records by Chicago State University.
Despite denials from the President and his supporters, Mr. Kalu provided an explanation indicating that the released documents support the claims of forgery.
When asked about the contents of the documents, he stated the following:
- Bola Ahmed Tinubu is alleged to have forged the certificate he submitted to INEC.
- The qualification certificate from South West College to Chicago State University contains a female name, suggesting that it does not belong to Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
- The Chicago State University admission form falsely claims that Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended Government College Lagos and graduated in 1970, despite the fact that the school was established in 1974.
“The document in question indicates that the owner is a Black American. However, in the document submitted by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to INEC, he denied having dual citizenship, implying that it does not belong to him. Furthermore, in the same document, during an oral deposition, it was stated that the ‘A’ in Bola A Tinubu stands for Ahmed, while the NYSC certificate submitted by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to INEC bears the name Adekunle. The origin of the name Adekunle remains unclear.”
Former Vice President Abubakar is seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention to challenge the outcome of Tinubu’s election, following the dismissal of his petition by the Presidential Election Tribunal.
In his effort to challenge the election outcome, he successfully filed a case in the United States, resulting in his legal team obtaining the academic records of the President—a matter surrounded by controversy.
During a press conference, Mr. Kalu was asked about the significance of the documents received in the context of the Supreme Court. He stated, “It is abundantly evident that, based on established legal precedents, the Supreme Court is authorized to admit fresh evidence provided certain conditions are satisfied. From the proceedings in the US courts, it is evident that these conditions have been met.”
He further emphasized, “Therefore, it is crucial to uphold our legal principles, which dictate that a party in the wrong should not be allowed to benefit from its unlawful actions.”
