Tinubu Receives Original Degree Certificate From Chicago State University; Says “I Am Not Claiming Another Father, I’m Tinubu”

By Gideon Njoku

In one fell swoop, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, cleared doubts over his parentage, age and educational qualifications, and work experience.

Doubts and questions about  who Tinubu really is have consistently been raised. They have continued to haunt him, and almost threw him out of office when he was the Governor of Lagos State.

But speaking at the Chatham House, London, on Monday, December 5,  Tinubu asked those doubting  his parentage and origin, who he identified as  detractors, to “request for a DNA.”

He declared: “I’m  Tinubu proper. I’m not claiming another father. I am Tinubu and Tinubu proper. If they want a DNA, they could as well request from us.” And obviously referring to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, one of his detractors, Tinubu said: “One of them has even been accused of not being a Nigerian citizen, I didn’t touch that area.”

On his date of birth and educational qualifications and work history, the Presidential Candidate submitted: “I have had a very good exposure in life. My record is consistent in the School, in the University. They (his critics) are now convinced that they wasted their money and their time. The record is there. The transcript is there, showing March 29, 1952 (as his birth date).

“Equally. it remains the same – Deloitte, Chicago State University where I graduated from has attested to that.”

Then, for the first time, he disclosed, of his degree certificate which he had claimed got lost during the General Sani Abacha Military Regime: “Now, I can announce that I have received my original replacement from them.”

“Deloitte trained me as an accountant. Mobil Oil has attested to my record, outstanding record. I got to the pinnacle of my career in the private sector. Who among them can brag about that?”

However, he passed off some of the questions asked of him about pressing issues affecting Nigeria to a couple of those who accompanied him to answer.

They include Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai  who he asked to answer the question on security, APC National Women Leader, a medical doctor, who took the question on health, Wale Edun who took the question on the economy, Dele Alake who took the question on the stealing of Oil, and Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade who took another question – all on his behalf. Tinubu said it was to show that he would run an inclusive Government if voted into office. But critics say he should have taken the questions himself because, if elected, the buck would stop on his table.

The Presidential election holds on February 25, 2023.