NEWS
University Clerk Responsible For Chicago Certificate Errors – Tinubu
According to recent court documents revealed by Peoples Gazette, President Bola Tinubu has alleged that a clerk at Chicago State University is responsible for the significant irregularities found in a certificate that was reissued in his name.
The president stated that discrepancies in dates, which created differences between the certificate and his actual graduation date, were a result of errors made by the unnamed clerk.
This information was included in a statement filed on August 23 by Mr. Tinubu’s legal counsel as part of his defense before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The court had granted Nigerian politician Mr. Tinubu until August 23 to provide an explanation as to why his academic records from CSU should not be disclosed to his political adversary, Atiku Abubakar.
Earlier this month, Mr. Abubakar sought court approval to subpoena Mr. Tinubu’s records housed at CSU. He believed that these documents would help to resolve notable discrepancies in Mr. Tinubu’s history.
This includes information available to the public, indicating that CSU admitted a female student with the name Bola Tinubu, born on March 29, 1954, during the 1970s.
The Nigerian president, while asserting he was born on March 29, 1952, has previously stated his birth year as 1954 on different occasions. Notably, he recently removed his primary and secondary education details from his records.
This decision followed the revelation that the schools he had sworn under oath to have attended during his 1999 gubernatorial run in Lagos did not exist within Nigeria.
In light of these circumstances, Mr. Abubakar sought access to records that could clarify the educational path of Mr. Tinubu.
This legal action was taken under a U.S. statute that permits the subpoena of documents within the U.S. for use as evidence in foreign courts.
The requested records are expected to shed light on the academic records Mr. Tinubu submitted to CSU as part of his admission to study accounting there.
Mr. Abubakar initiated a lawsuit to secure access to Mr. Tinubu’s school records using a U.S. statute that permits the subpoenaing of documents in the U.S. for foreign court use.
Mr. Abubakar’s argument stemmed from the notion that Mr. Tinubu had made inconsistent statements both in Nigeria and at CSU.
Notably, in response to a prior subpoena, CSU had furnished documents that contradicted Mr. Tinubu’s sworn statements in Nigeria.
Mr. Tinubu’s legal team, headed by Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Carmichael, contended that the August 2022 subpoena, which had been issued at the behest of Nigerian lawyer Mike Enahoro-Ebah, was deemed “illegal.”
This stance was based on the argument that there were no valid justifications for the requested documents, particularly given the considerations of education privacy rights.
Nevertheless, Mr. Tinubu’s lawyers acknowledged that the documents did originate from CSU. However, they stated that an unidentified clerk had inadvertently entered an incorrect graduation date.
“Unfortunately, in responding to the illegal and invalid subpoena, CSU made several errors,” Mr Tinubu’s attorneys said. “CSU issued a new diploma for Bola A. Tinubu, but incorrectly wrote the date of graduation as June 27, 1979.”
Additionally, the legal team pointed out that alterations in authorized signatories and logos by the school, coupled with other irregularities such as variations in the fonts used on the certificate, collectively contributed to the perception of impropriety.
The lawyer said “The correct date was June 22, 1979, but that scrivener’s error – along with a change in the CSU logo, the font on the diploma, and leadership at CSU who signed the diploma created the appearance of differences between an earlier issued diploma and the one issued in response to the 2022 subpoena.”
Mr Abubakar said he filed the suit because he wanted to get the school to certify all documents relating to Mr Tinubu, some of which had been filed by the Nigerian president’s lawyers in Nigerian court as part of the ongoing election petitions proceeding.
But Mr Tinubu argued further that Mr Abubakar should be requesting the documents because Mr Tinubu’s academic records were not part of the initial litigation over the Nigerian elections.
They said the opposition leader’s argument had been focused entirely on cheating and other irregularities around the conduct of the election.
The legal team also asserted that the Nigerian court responsible for election petitions had already completed hearings on arguments, with a judgment anticipated soon.
The court is obligated to deliver a verdict by September 21, in accordance with Nigerian electoral law, which dictates that a petition’s conclusion must occur within 180 days after the election.
The presidential election took place on February 25, and Mr. Tinubu assumed the presidency on May 29.
Mr. Tinubu’s stance seemed to align with the CSU’s perspective regarding the lawsuit.
The university authorities had indicated that they would defer their compliance decision to their former student, Mr. Tinubu, on this matter.
Chicago-based attorney Angela Marie Liu, heading Mr. Abubakar’s legal team, is anticipated to submit a response to Mr. Tinubu’s assertion that the documents should not be pursued.
Mr. Tinubu’s argument is based on the premise that these documents were not involved in the Nigerian proceedings and would be considered inadmissible due to the current phase of the case.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has invited global investors to participate in the bid for the 2026 Licensing Round, which has 40 oil and gas blocks on offer.
The Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, informed investors at the 2026 ADIPEC Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday, November 2, 2026 that Nigeria offers a stable climate amid global energy tensions.
She urged investors to look to Nigeria and take advantage of the opportunities and revealed that the licensing round portal will officially open on November 20, 2026.
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The NUPRC boss said this during a roundtable discussion titled, ‘Energy Sovereignty in an Interconnected World: Aligning National Priorities, Markets and Global Security’.
She said, “We are expecting investors to turn to Nigeria. We are going into another licensing round, and we will launch our bid portal on November 20. We expect to see interested investors because the environment is a lot more competitive.
“We have set a very attractive fiscal framework for investors. The overall environment is much more secure. We have been able to manage costs with a lot of incentives for investors, and we expect to see investors take up the offer when we open the portal.”
The NUPRC boss noted that since the passing of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, as well as the executive orders signed by President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria has seen an improved investment climate.
Eyesan said that between 2021 and 2026, the NUPRC held at least four successful licensing rounds, which brought more investment into the country.
This marks a departure from the pre-PIA era, when licensing rounds were less frequent.
The CCE said Nigeria has huge energy potential, as it sits on 215 TCF of gas, but daily production is barely 7 bcf.
This presents an opportunity to investors, especially as key gas infrastructure, such as pipelines, is being built, she said. The stars are already aligned. For gas infrastructure, we just completed very major infrastructure projects that will unlock gas supply in the country and the sub-region.”
We have two major projects on the drawing board to move gas through the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline and the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline.
Again, this gas will go to Europe and will also meet regional demand. So, Nigeria is positioned to meet not just domestic supply,” the CCE stated.
Eyesan maintained that as many countries discover petroleum resources, the race for investment has become more competitive.
She said Nigeria was already ahead of the game, as it had made certain modifications to attract the right capital.
“We understand that investors will prize execution risk, cost, delays and also uncertainty, and so what we have done in Nigeria is to ensure that we guard against these risks and then attract the investment required to enable us to unlock the huge resources we sit on,” the NUPRC boss said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described his emergence as Nigeria’s President as a special favour from Almighty Allah, saying his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is a privilege that must be matched with dedicated service to the country.
Tinubu made the remarks while reflecting on his spiritual journey to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj (Umrah), during which he was granted access to pray inside the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah.
The President expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for granting him and members of his Nigerian delegation the rare privilege.
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Speaking after the spiritual exercise, Tinubu said his emergence as Nigeria’s leader was an extraordinary blessing, considering the millions of people in the country.
“I have faith in that, and I believe extremely well that He has done me and my country a great favour. Out of many millions of people, to be the President and Commander-in-Chief is a favour that only Almighty God can do to a human being,” he said.
The President also disclosed that he used the opportunity to pray for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians, expressing confidence that his prayers had been answered.
“Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted,” Tinubu said.
Recalling his previous Umrah pilgrimage before the 2023 presidential election, he said he had asked Allah to bless the journey and promised to return to express gratitude.
Tinubu also reflected on the message in Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26 of the Holy Qur’an, which establishes Allah as the ultimate owner of sovereignty and authority, with the power to give and take leadership.
He said the message reinforces the need for those entrusted with positions of authority to exercise power responsibly, with humility and in the interest of the people.
“There is no other God but Almighty Allah. He is the giver and the taker. He owns power and authority,” the President said.
He reaffirmed his commitment to building a prosperous Nigeria, investing in the future of young Nigerians and pursuing development in line with the aspirations of the people.
Tinubu described the opportunity to enter the Holy Ka’abah as a historic and deeply cherished spiritual experience, adding that it reflected the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
The Ogun State Police Command has received three major honours at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council’s Golden Jubilee Press Week, with Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni named a Golden Jubilee Ambassador.
The Command received the Shield of Public Safety Award, while its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, was presented with the Vanguard of Public Safety Award.
The recognition formed part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the NUJ in Ogun State, which coincides with the state’s 50th anniversary.
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According to a statement released on Monday, November 2, 2026, by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Babaseyi, the awards recognised the Command’s commitment to public safety, proactive policing and effective engagement with the media.
The Golden Jubilee Press Week, held from October 26 to November 1, 2026, was themed, “Truth, Trust and the Press: Protecting Democratic Choice and Rebuilding Public Confidence in Journalism.”
Ojajuni also participated in a panel session during the celebration, where he urged journalists to uphold truth, professional ethics and patriotism, stressing the importance of responsible journalism to national development and public confidence in public institutions.
While receiving the Shield of Public Safety Award, the police commissioner attributed the Command’s achievements, particularly the impact of Operation KOSAYE, to the strategic direction of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, under the Handshake Patrol initiative.
He explained that the operation was carried out on the directive of the IGP through collaboration between the Ogun and Lagos State Police Commands, with support from the governors of both states.
According to him, the initiative strengthened security cooperation between the two states and improved coordinated efforts to prevent and combat criminal activities.
Ojajuni was also named among 50 distinguished personalities recognised as Golden Jubilee Ambassadors.
The honour reflects his leadership and previous contributions to policing in Ogun State, where he served as Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department and Squadron Commander of the 16 Police Mobile Force, Abeokuta, before becoming commissioner.
Similarly, Babaseyi received the Vanguard of Public Safety Award in recognition of his contributions to police-public communication, media engagement and public safety advocacy.
The commissioner dedicated the honours to the Inspector-General of Police and officers of the Nigeria Police Force, acknowledging their commitment and sacrifices in protecting lives and property.
The Command also commended the NUJ Ogun State Council, led by its chairman, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, for the recognition and its role in promoting constructive engagement between journalists and security institutions.
It reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its relationship with the media, noting that effective policing depends not only on operational deployment but also on public trust, timely information and stakeholder engagement.
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