CSU certificate: CSO asks Tinubu to save Nigeria from embarrassment

 

The United Action Front of Civil Society has called upon President Bola Tinubu to take corrective action and spare Nigeria from international embarrassment.

In a press release issued on Friday, the Civil Society Organization (CSO), represented by its spokesperson, Mallam Hamisu Santuraki, expressed its dismay at the disturbing revelation of forgery and perjury attributed to the President, considering it an affront to all Nigerians.

The call comes in the wake of ongoing controversies surrounding the President Tinubu’s certificate he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

According to the press statement, “The shocking disclosure made by Chicago State University (CSU), exposing the falsified claims and forgery linked to Tinubu’s diploma certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for his candidacy in the 2023 presidential elections, following legal action initiated by former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is not only deeply humiliating but also severely damaging to Nigeria’s reputation as the largest African nation and the world’s most populous black country.

“When Bola Tinubu served as the Governor of Lagos State, his personal history was shrouded in a veil of ambiguity. It is worth noting that, in his sworn affidavit submitted to INEC in 1999, Tinubu falsely claimed to have attended a non-existent Aroloya Primary School in Lagos, Government College in Ibadan, and the University of Chicago for a Master’s Degree in Economics.

“Without the legal immunity provided to state Governors under the Nigerian constitution, combined with aggressive media manipulation, he would likely have faced resignation, mirroring the actions of Senate President Evans Enwerem and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari, who were compelled to step down from their positions due to allegations of identity theft and false claims of graduating from the University of Toronto, Canada.

“It is deeply regrettable that the Tinubu Chicago Gate revelation has now confirmed long-standing suspicions concerning Bola Tinubu’s true identity. As demonstrated and attested by CSU, Tinubu falsely declared his attendance at Government College in Ibadan and engaged in the forgery of the CSU diploma certificate he presented to INEC for the 2023 presidential elections.

“The United Action Front of Civil Society views President Tinubu’s actions as a brazen criminal act. By forging a certificate supposedly granted by a foreign academic institution, he knowingly committed perjury under the law. His submission of forged documents to INEC, including the false declaration of his age, flagrantly violates Chapter 6, Part 1, Section 137 (J) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The CSO’s statement underscores the significance of upholding the law and maintaining the integrity of public officeholders, irrespective of their political status. It calls for accountability and corrective measures to address this serious breach of trust.