Nigeria: Group petitions INEC to probe Tinubu’s certificates ahead of 2027 poll

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

A civil society group has asked INEC to reopen investigations into President Bola Tinubu’s academic and NYSC certificates, warning it will go to court if the commission does not clarify his eligibility for the 2027 presidential election.

The petition, dated June 22 was filed by the Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, CFRPA, through lawyer Kalu Agu. It focuses on documents Tinubu submitted with his INEC Form EC9 for the 2023 election, including a Chicago State University certificate and an NYSC discharge certificate.

CFRPA alleged the tinubu claimed he attended Government College Lagos from 1960 and graduated in May 1970. The group says Government College Lagos was established in 1974, making the claim impossible.

The group also cited court-ordered documents from Chicago State University in the U.S. case _In re: Application of Atiku Abubakar No. 23 CV 05099_. It said those records showed “false entries” on Tinubu’s admission form and an allegedly forged Cambridge GCE certificate from 1970.

CFRPA said it has also written to NYSC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, asking NYSC to issue a disclaimer on the discharge certificate Tinubu paraded.

The petitioners cited Section 137(1)(j) and Section 285(14) of the 1999 Constitution. Section 137(1)(j) disqualifies anyone who presents a forged certificate to INEC. Section 285(14) gives INEC power to disqualify ineligible candidates.

They urged INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, a SAN, to use his legal experience to resolve the issue, calling it a “litmus test” for the commission’s neutrality in future elections.

CFRPA threatened to sue INEC if it fails to make its legal position public. The group said it will seek to stop INEC from accepting Tinubu as APC’s presidential candidate for 2027, arguing he has “no other academic certificate to present” since the primary and secondary certificates in question are allegedly forged.