With the 2027 election cycle approaching, the Center for Reform and Public Advocacy has reignited the long-running controversy over President Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate, formally petitioning INEC to clarify his eligibility per the Daily Post.
By Nij Martin
IT’S ELECTION SEASON, SO THE CERTIFICATE SAGA IS BACK
You knew this was coming.
As Nigeria edges closer to 2027, the perennial Tinubu certificate controversy has roared back to life — and this time it’s landing directly on INEC’s desk.
The Center for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA) has written formally to INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan, demanding urgent clarification on the authenticity of President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate — the same document at the heart of years of legal battles and public scrutiny.
The group’s argument isn’t new, but it’s pointed. They allege Tinubu claimed on his Chicago State admission form to have attended Government College Lagos in 1960 and graduated in 1970 — despite the school, according to the group, only being established in 1974. The math, they say, simply doesn’t work.
“Forged University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate General Certificate of Education Certificate in 1970,” the group’s letter alleges, referencing academic records previously released by Chicago State University as part of a US discovery case tied to Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 election petition.
The group, led by Barrister Kalu Agu, isn’t just raising questions for the sake of it — they’re invoking constitutional muscle. They point to Section 137(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which disqualifies any candidate who presents a forged certificate, and Section 285(14), which grants INEC power to disqualify ineligible candidates outright.
Their letter doesn’t pull punches: “This is a litmus test for you to determine how neutral you will be in the conduct of future elections in Nigeria.”
And there’s a deadline attached to the pressure. The group has warned that if INEC stays silent, they’ll head straight to court to block Tinubu’s name from even being submitted as the APC’s presidential candidate for 2027.
“We will initiate a legal action to stop INEC from receiving and/or accepting the name of President Bola A. Tinubu as the Presidential Candidate of the APC,” the letter states bluntly.
The group says it has also written separately to the NYSC, asking the corps to publicly disown the discharge certificate Tinubu has presented as genuine.
So here we are again — old documents, old questions, but a brand new election cycle giving them fresh urgency. Whether INEC responds, stays quiet, or ends up in court remains to be seen.
But one thing’s certain: this story isn’t going away quietly.
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