Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, has again mocked the academic records of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku, who is challenging the authenticity of Tinubu’s degree certificate issued by Chicago State University, in the United States, said the president’s academic record continues to be a major source of confusion.
In a post via X, formally Twitter, Atiku accused the president of boycotting primary and secondary school education to move to Chicago State University.
According to the former Vice President, Tinubu in 1999, claimed that he attended St. John’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos, before proceeding to Children’s Home School in Ibadan.
He alleged that President Tinubu’s academic record in 2023 was different from what was presented in 1999, adding that the president only said he attended Chicago State University without primary and secondary school educations.
“I woke up this morning wondering how we got to this cul de sac. In 1999, @officialABAT claimed he attended St. John’s Primary School, Aroloya, Lagos, before proceeding to Children Home School in Ibadan.”
“According to him, his next port of call in his educational journey was Government College Ibadan and, Richard Daley College and Chicago State University in the United States.
Curiously, in 2023, Tinubu settled with attending only @ChicagoState. I am scratching my head. How is that possible? Methinks that all well-meaning Nigerians should be as confused as I am with Tinubu’s declaration that he had no primary and secondary education, yet he has a university degree. You may wish to #AskTinubu how he attained this feat so that we can learn from his ingenuity ???? -AA,” Atiku wrote.
In March, Tinubu was declared winner of the 2023 presidential election.
But Atiku has continuously challenged the poll’s outcome at the Presidential Election Petition Court, raising several questions about the President’s academic record.
He had also approached a United States (US) court at the northern district of Illinois in Chicago, for an order compelling the Chicago State University (CSU) to release the academic records of Tinubu.
Documents sought by Atiku, through his counsel, Angela M. Liu, include record of his admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards and honours attained by Tinubu at the university, among others.
Atiku informed the court that the subpoena was to test the truth and veracity of Tinubu’s assertions, adding that he is currently the President of Nigeria and is facing various court proceedings concerning his election and the authenticity of documents relating to his attendance at Chicago State University.”
Reacting, the university, in a document seen by Daily Trust said it does not “understand” why Tinubu’s academic records “could possibly have any bearing on a 2023 election challenge in a foreign country”.
However, it said once an order is granted by a court in the US, Tinubu’s academic record would be made public.
