PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is facing a fresh eligibility hurdle ahead of next year’s presidential election, as group has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking to reopen an investigation into the educational qualifications he used to secure clearance to contest the 2023 presidential election.

    The petition, dated June 19, was filed by a civil society group, under the aegis of the Center for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA), through a consortium of lawyers, led by Kalu Agu, seeking INEC’s clarification on the authenticity or otherwise of the Chicago State University’s certificate Tinubu included with his form.

    Among others, the group alleged that while Tinubu claimed to have attended Government College, Lagos, in 1960, and graduated in May 1970, Government College, Lagos, was established in 1974.

    CFRPA expressed concern that the primary and secondary school certificates being paraded by Tinubu, and claimed to have been used to secure admission to Chicago State University, might have been forged; hence the need for clarification by INEC.

    The petitioners urged INEC chairman, as a Professor of Law and a well-respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to use his wealth of experience and knowledge to resolve this lingering issue surrounding Tinubu’s eligibility to contest next year’s presidential poll.

    According to the group, the need for INEC to make clarifications has become imperative, in view of the legal implications of forged certificates in relation to Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Section 285(14), which envisages the power of the Commission to disqualify candidates for election who are ineligible.

    The petitioners threatened to initiate an action against INEC should it fail to give clarification on Tinubu’s qualification.

    The petition read: “In line with our objectives, we respectfully wish to bring to your notice the fake Chicago State University certificate and forged National Youth Service Corps Discharge Certificate presented to the Commission by President Bola A. Tinubu to aid his qualification for the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.

    “The said certificates, which formed part of Tinubu’s INEC Form EC9, are hereby annexed and marked as ‘Exhibit INEC.

    “It will be recalled that in 2023, an American court, in a discovery case, particularly In re: Application of Atiku Abubakar (No. 23 CV 05099), Nancy L. Maldonado, directed Chicago State University to release academic records of Tinubu to Atiku.

    “The said academic records are hereby annexed and marked as ‘Exhibit CSU.’ Upon release of the said academic records, the following was discovered: That President Bola A. Tinubu: “Made false entries on his Chicago State University admission form, wherein he claimed that he attended Government College, Lagos, in 1960 and graduated in May 1970, when indeed Government College Lagos was established in 1974

    “Forged a University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate General Certificate of Education in 1970. Please see pages CSU 0022 and CSU 0024 of ‘Exhibit CSU’.

    “It is on the basis of the foregoing that we respectfully write to you requesting a legal clarification of the effects of President Tinubu’s certificate, obtained by fraud from Chicago State University, and his forged NYSC Discharge Certificate, on President Bola A. Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid.

    “It is worthy of note that we have written to the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), requesting that the NYSC issue a disclaimer on the forged NYSC Discharge Certificate that President Bola A. Tinubu is parading as genuine.

    “Attached are copies of the said letters, marked as ‘Exhibit Letters.’ As a Professor of Law and a well-respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), it is imperative that you use your wealth of experience and knowledge to resolve this lingering issue surrounding the ineligibility of President Bola A. Tinubu to contest the 2027 presidential election, considering the legal implications of the above-named forged certificates he submitted to INEC in 2023, in relation to Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as Section 285(14) of the said Constitution, which envisages the power of the Commission to disqualify candidates for election who are ineligible.

    “This is a litmus test for you, to determine how neutral you will be in the conduct of future elections in Nigeria.

    “TAKE NOTICE that, in the event you fail to make INEC’s legal position public on this request, we will initiate legal action to stop INEC from receiving and/or accepting the name of President Bola A. Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the APC, as he has no other academic certificate to present to INEC, since President Bola A. Tinubu does not have any primary or secondary school certificates.

    “We are hopeful that you will heed our request and allow wise counsel to prevail in the circumstances. INEC is constitutionally and statutorily mandated to regulate the activities of political parties in Nigeria and conduct elections into elective offices, which includes accepting and/or granting access codes to political parties to upload candidates’ names into the INEC online portal.

    “By virtue of Section 137(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), any candidate who presents a forged certificate to INEC is not qualified to contest for the office of President of Nigeria.”