CSU Registrar Disowned Degree Result Tinubu Submitted to INEC? President’s Lawyer Speaks

• Wole Afolabi, Bola Tinubu's lawyer, has said the Chicago State University's deposition cleared up a lot of misconceptions
• Afolabi also said the deposition clarified mischaracterisations of events regarding the president’s academic qualifications
• The lawyer stated that, for instance, there is nowhere the CSU stated that Tinubu's document was forged

Chicago, USA - Bola Tinubu on Friday, October 6, said the Chicago State University (CSU) “cannot speak on the authenticity of a document it does not have a copy of”.

Legit.ng reports that Tinubu’s academic certificate obtained from the CSU has been the subject of intense debate in recent days, especially as the legal battle extended to the United States of America (USA).

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'Tinubu didn't forge certificate': Lawyer

There are reports that the CSU registrar, Caleb Westberg, disowned the degree result Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2022, suggesting the president forged that document. But speaking to Premium Times through his lawyer, Wole Afolabi, Tinubu insisted that he did not forge the CSU’s diploma (also called a certificate).

Afolabi said:

“At page 41 of the condensed deposition transcript, Mr Westberg had this to say: ‘The student in question graduated from the University on June 22, 1979. We were not qualified to verify whether this document is authentic, given that it is not in our possession.’

"Universities in the US issue diplomas without qualms – all that you need to do is pay the processing fee. Diplomas bear the year of graduation not minding the year the request was put in.

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"Mr Westberg testified that CSU does not keep copies of applications for re-issuance of diplomas and it also does not keep copies of Diplomas that had been picked up by students.

"The school cannot speak on the authenticity of a document of which it does not have a copy.

"Furthermore, if you take a look at Exhibit 11 – Affidavit of Mr Westberg, there’s confirmation that the document was authentic.

"One can take it as one likes – ‘we can’t authenticate or it is authenticated.’

"What the facts do not support is that the school disowned the validity of the certificate the President gave to INEC. It is nowhere stated that the school said that the document was forged.”

"Tinubu was mischaracterised": Lawyer

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Tinubu said the CSU's deposition in court earlier this week was "a boon" to him.

Afolabi noted that Westberg pointed out that errors discovered in Tinubu's CSU document "are not unusual".

Source: Legit.ng