A fresh legal confrontation is brewing in the United States as a law firm moves to compel Chicago State University to revoke the degree awarded to President Bola Tinubu in 1979.
The firm claims Tinubu secured admission to the institution using forged academic credentials, particularly a secondary school certificate allegedly obtained from Government College, Lagos, in 1970—four years before the school was established.
With repeated demand letters to the university reportedly ignored, the law firm is now set to file a writ of mandamus in both federal and state courts. This legal instrument aims to force the university to nullify Tinubu’s degree, citing misrepresentation as the basis of admission and asserting that the qualification should not stand.
This development adds a new layer to the long-running controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic records. While previous statements acknowledged that Tinubu did graduate with a degree in business administration, there has been lingering uncertainty about the authenticity of the certificate he submitted to Nigeria’s electoral body.
The legal initiative is being pushed by a Nigerian civic organization, which argues that the Chicago degree is Tinubu’s only known academic credential, noting that no primary or secondary certificates were presented during his presidential filing. The group insists that holding onto a degree obtained under questionable circumstances undermines both academic integrity and democratic transparency.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, the outcome of this case may prove politically consequential, casting fresh scrutiny on the president’s educational history and possibly influencing public perception and legal standing in the months ahead.
