Tinubu’s certificate saga: What you should know about Chicago State University

The authenticity of President Bola Tinubu’s certificate from Chicago State University (CSU) has been a controversial topic in his election as Nigeria’s president.

The CSU, which found itself in the middle Nigeria’s election disputes amidst the certificate forgery allegations, recently released Tinubu’s certificate.

This followed request by Atiku Abubakar, who ran as the presidential candidate for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s February 25th presidential election.

Atiku had sought the documents to support his allegation that Tinubu forged his certificate from the institution.

Nigeria’s presidential election tribunal earlier dismissed Atiku’s lawsuit challenging Tinubu’s election victory.

But in an unexpected turn of events, Judge Nancy Maldonado of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago ordered the release of the certificate by 2nd October, and a deposition to take place on 3rd October.

The court order was despite Tinubu’s initial move to stop the process.

The deposition revealed that Tinubu attended CSU, but the certificate issued to him in 1979 could not be located.

However, there were issues with the certificate.  These include birthday mismatch, gender errors, and other discrepancies.

Here are things to know about Chicago State University

1. Chicago State University was founded on September 2, 1867 (156 years ago) as a teacher training school.
2. The university is located on the south side of Chicago
3. The president of Chicago State University is Zaldwaynaka (“Z”) Scott, Esq.
4. Chicago State University is classified as a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), which reflects its historical mission to serve African-American students.
5. CSU has produced notable alumni in various fields, including politics, business, education, and the arts including:
   Kanye West; rapper and record producer
   Deji Akindele; a professional basketball player for Yalova Group BelediyeSpor of the Turkish Basketball First League
   Gwendolyn Brooks; the first African-American Pulitzer Prize winner
   Bola Tinubu; 12th Governor Lagos State (1999–2007), President of Nigeria (2023–present)
6. CSU is recognised by Best Colleges as one of the leading Regional Universities in the Midwest, securing a ranking between #127- #166.
7. The CSU Cougars compete in NCAA Division I sports and are a part of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
8. CSU places a significant emphasis on community engagement and frequently partners with local groups and projects to tackle social and economic challenges in the surrounding neighborhoods.