Chicago State University, CSU, has announced that President Bola Tinubu attended the institution and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Administration in 1979.
In a statement published by CBS News on Thursday, September 14, 2023, the university expressed confidence in the accuracy and integrity of Tinubu’s academic records.
Nevertheless, they acknowledged that U.S. federal law prohibits them from disclosing further information about Tinubu’s records without consent or a court order.
The controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic records escalated when Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), brought the matter to a U.S. court.
During a hearing in Chicago, Atiku requested a federal judge to compel CSU officials to provide Tinubu’s academic documents and participate in depositions.
Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois did not make a ruling on the request.
It’s worth noting that an election tribunal had previously dismissed Atiku Abubakar’s case, but he emphasized that the battle was not over.
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The statement by CBS reads:
“As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records.
“Federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release.
“In August 2023, a request was made in U.S. federal court for the university to provide information related to educational records concerning Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, and a former CSU student.
“The university has confirmed Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree. Federal law, however, prevents us from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court orde
“CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.
“The university is not a party to the Nigerian legal proceedings that spurred this request, and a U.S. federal judge will determine whether the university will provide further requested information.
“Our response to the request for Tinubu’s academic records has been entirely consistent with our practices, policies and federal law. We would respond in exactly the same manner for any request for any student information by a third party.”
