The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) global disinformation team has disclosed that there is no evidence that President Bola Tinubu forged his Chicago State University (CSU) certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Herald understands that the BBC, in a report titled: ‘Bola Tinubu diploma: No evidence Nigeria’s president forged college record’, revealed that their findings vindicate the Nigerian president of certificate forgery as alleged.
Recall that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, had accused Tinubu of forging the Chicago State University (CSU) certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, the BBC said its conclusion after they contacted CSU with questions about Tinubu’s diplomas shows no evidence of forgery.
The BBC noted that in response to their questions, the CSU said, “We are confident and always have been in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s attendance and completion of graduation requirements.”
Recounting the development that led to the certificate saga, BBC said there are three versions of the CSU certificates for Tinubu.
“The CSU released several diplomas issued between 1979 and 2003. We analysed all of them.
“There are three different diplomas for Mr Tinubu that we refer to throughout our analysis:
“The original one, from 1979, which he has said in the past, was lost when he went into exile in the 1990s.
“The second one that he submitted to Inec – supposedly a replacement diploma from CSU (it is similar to diplomas issued by CSU in the 1990s).
“Additionally, CSU holds another replacement diploma for Mr Tinubu that they say is probably from the early 2000s that he never collected.
“The allegations on social media are based on comparing the document Mr Tinubu submitted to Inec and the 1979 diplomas released by CSU.”
According to the British media organisation, the deposition by CSU’s registrar, Caleb Westberg, also attested that Nigeria’s leader did not forge his diploma.
“Mr Westberg said the template of CSU’s diploma has changed several times over the years. He said any request for a new diploma would resemble the current template at that time, no matter when the student graduated.
“The BBC reached out to Mr Tinubu’s team to get a copy of the diploma in question. They sent what they said was the only existing copy of the diploma. It is a black and white photocopy identical to what was submitted to INEC.
“Another claim, made by a fact-checking organisation in Nigeria, was that the diploma Mr Tinubu submitted was not from CSU as its diplomas do not include the phrase “with honours” under the degree name.
“But the BBC found that while this was not reflected in the other diplomas released by CSU, it does appear in Mr Tinubu’s diploma issued in the early 2000s, which Mr Westberg authenticated during his deposition.
“It has the words “with honours” – a match with the diploma with the same detail submitted by the President to INEC.”
“Mr Westberg said that the school could authenticate this particular diploma because it was still in its possession as it was never picked up,” it stated.
“Not every student graduates from university with honours. Mr Tinubu, as attested to by CSU in several court documents seen by the BBC, did graduate from CSU with honours.”