The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has responded to the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records at Chicago State University (CSU).
In the recent past, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, had taken legal action in the US District Court in Northern Illinois to obtain President Tinubu’s academic records from CSU. Atiku’s argument was that these records would strengthen his case at the Supreme Court, where he challenged Tinubu’s election in the February 25 poll.
The US Court ruled in favor of Atiku, ordering CSU to provide President Tinubu’s academic records. On Monday, the university released a set of documents related to Tinubu’s education at the institution, including certificates issued to other individuals around the time when the Nigerian president completed his studies at CSU in 1979. However, reports emerged suggesting that the certificate obtained from CSU differed from the one submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election.
In response to these developments, Minister Tuggar, during an appearance on Channels Television, dismissed the controversy as insignificant and designed to divert attention from the leadership of Bola Tinubu. He referred to the allegations as “frivolous issues” that were intended to distract from more substantial developmental concerns. He stated that there is no need to waste time on questioning the qualifications of someone who has served as a governor for two terms and has been a prominent figure in national politics. Tuggar also drew a parallel with former President Buhari, who faced similar questions about his educational background, highlighting that such inquiries often serve as distractions from more pressing matters of governance and development.