In the midst of the ongoing controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records, his lawyer, Wole Afolabi, has provided an explanation for why the Chicago State University (CSU) certificate indicated a female (F) gender designation.
Afolabi addressed this issue during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday. It is worth noting that the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, had filed a case in the District Court, Northern Illinois, United States, which led to the court’s order for CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records to him.
When asked about the discrepancy in the gender designation on Tinubu’s certificate, Afolabi clarified, “The transcript that was provided by Southwest College indicated F. It was clear. All of the other particulars did match the information of President Bola Tinubu.”
He went on to explain that the registrar of CSU was interviewed regarding these discrepancies and revealed that the gender mix-up occurred because the person applying for the school had ticked the box indicating male, not female. However, the admission letter was issued to Mr. Tinubu. Dr. West Brown, who was also interviewed, stated that it is not uncommon for universities to make such mistakes, emphasizing that he had encountered similar situations at various universities.
Regarding discrepancies in the signatures on the certificate, Afolabi clarified that certificates were not typically issued at the time of graduation. They were issued upon application. Therefore, the person who issued the certificate that Tinubu submitted to INEC might not have been at the university in 1979.
This explanation from President Tinubu’s lawyer comes in the midst of ongoing scrutiny and debate over the authenticity of his academic records, as well as his eligibility to contest the 2023 presidential elections. The situation remains complex, with various parties continuing to present their perspectives and arguments.
