The Chicago State University, CSU, on Thursday, 14th September, 2023 confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu graduted from the institution in 1979 with a bachelor degree, reports CBS.
This formally laid to rest various inquiries and doubts about the claim of the former Treasurer of Mobil and Lagos state Governor between 1999-2007.
The institution, as reported by CBS, however explained that there is a federal law, known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, FERPA, which protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can make public.
The CSU statement read: “In August 2023, a request was made to the 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.
“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.
“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 order.
“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”.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 Presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had alleged that documents presented by President Tinubu that he graduated from Chicago State University in 1979, were fake and headed to United States of America court asking CSU to provide Tinubu’s academic records.
