Chicago State University (CSU) has reportedly confirmed the validity of the diploma presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This confirmation comes in the form of a sworn affidavit submitted by CSU.

The affidavit, as quoted by The Nation Newspaper, submitted in a Chicago court, states, “Chicago State University provided a Diploma to Bola Ahmed Tinubu and subsequently provided a certified copy of that Diploma. Both are valid and authentic Diplomas of the Chicago State University.”

“There are certain differences between the Diploma and the certified copy because all diplomas are signed by the current President/Board Chairman. There are also differences in the font and seal on the Diploma because the University updated its seal and font after the diploma was issued.

The difference in the date of award on the diploma versus the certified copy is likely the result of human error. The graduation date on the certified copy is typed in manually by a person and can be inaccurate.”

This confirmation comes amidst allegations made by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election. Atiku had raised concerns regarding the authenticity of Tinubu’s CSU certificate and requested access to the documents.

In response to Atiku’s request, the education records of Tinubu were released by CSU following a court subpoena. These records, released on October 2, along with a deposition on Tuesday, have revealed discrepancies between Tinubu’s 1979 CSU certificate and the samples of certificates issued by the University to students in the same year.