Chicago State University (CSU) has officially confirmed the authenticity of the certificate submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This confirmation came through an affidavit filed by the university’s registrar, Caleb Westberg, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, on July 24, 2023.
The registrar’s sworn statement affirms the following key points:
Caleb Westberg, the Registrar of Chicago State University, has the authority to submit the affidavit on behalf of the university.
Chicago State University issued a diploma to Bola Ahmed Tinubu and subsequently provided an official certified copy of that diploma. Both documents are valid and genuine representations of Tinubu’s educational achievements at the university.
There are minor differences between the original diploma and the certified copy due to the practice of having diplomas signed by the current President/Board Chair and updates to the university’s font and seal after the diploma’s issuance.
Discrepancies in the graduation date between the diploma and the certified copy are likely the result of human error since the date on the certified copy is manually typed and can occasionally be inaccurate.
In the United States, diplomas from higher education institutions are often considered ceremonial documents.
The official records of Chicago State University unequivocally confirm that Bola Ahmed Tinubu graduated from the university and received the degree as previously stated.
In the United States of America, institutions of higher education often consider the diploma to be a ceremonial document.
In response to claims of forgery, Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to President Tinubu, emphasized that CSU had affirmed under oath that Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution.
He further clarified that the university does not handle replacements for lost certificates. Ajayi strongly refuted the forgery allegations, stating that it makes no sense for someone to forge academic records that they already possess, emphasizing that one can only forge documents they do not possess.
In summary, Chicago State University has officially validated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic credentials, confirming the authenticity of the certificate he submitted to INEC, and refuting claims of forgery.