Lawyer Sues Tinubu Over Alleged Certificate Forgery, Age Falsification

An Abuja-based Human right lawyer, Mike Enahoro-Ebah has sued the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu over allegations bordering on certificate forgery, falsification of age and lying on oath.

Mr Enahoro-Ebah sued Tinubu in three separate direct criminal complaints filed at the Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 6, Abuja.

In the matters dated November 9, 2022, and filed on November 10, 2022, by the lawyer, he alleged that Tinubu lied on oath having falsely sworn to an affidavit in support of his personal particulars (Form EC-9) submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on June 17, 2022.

He also alleged that Tinubu presented a forged Chicago State University Certificate to INEC with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine, thereby committing the offence of forgery contrary to Sections 362(a), 363 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

The lawyer said he applied, through his colleague, Mathew Kowals, a Chicago-based legal practitioner, who issued an attorney subpoena on his behalf against the university in case number: 22-L-007289 on August 12, directing the school to mail him (Kowals) all documents and records pertaining to Tinubu in their possession.

He said copies of the Chicago State University Certificate, academic records, undergraduate admission application form, University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education, and copy of Southwest College Transcript (now City College of Chicago) were later sent to him which he attached to the court documents as exhibits.

He alleged that the copy of the Chicago State University Certificate released by the school “is radically different” from the copy attached to Tinubu’s sworn Form EC-9 submitted to INEC on June 17.

According to him, a direct comparison of both certificates reveals different dates of an issue by the university (June 22, 1979, and June 27, 1979); different university logos on both certificates; different grammatical construction on the faces of the certificates, and different signatures, among others.

He said, in support of the defendant’s undergraduate admission application form submitted to Chicago State University in 1977, was a transcript from Southwest College, Chicago, bearing the name, “Tinubu Bola A” which belongs to a female student, contrary to Form EC-9 submitted to INEC which indicated that Tinubu is a man.

Mr Enahoro-Ebah further alleged that Tinubu that attended the university indicated in his undergraduate admission application form that he graduated from Government College, Lagos in 1970, while the defendant in his Form EC-9 submitted to INEC provided no information as to his attendance at the said Government College, Lagos, among other allegations.

He said it is in the best interest of Nigeria, justice and equity to issue criminal summons to ensure Tinubu’s attendance in court to answer the complaints.

The case, which is before Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna, is yet to be scheduled for a hearing.