The ongoing legal dispute between President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar concerning Tinubu’s academic records from Chicago State University has taken an intriguing twist. A self-proclaimed classmate of President Tinubu, Olajide Adeniji, has testified in a United States district court that he knows the Nigerian leader.
Adeniji’s testimony asserts that he knew and even contested against President Tinubu as the President of the Accounting Society Club at the Department of Business Administration/Accounting during their time at the same alma mater. This development comes just two weeks after another individual, Durojaiye Ogunsanya, claimed to be a coursemate of President Tinubu and testified that they both graduated from the Department of Accounting and Business Administration in 1979 at the same university.
In the affidavit dated September 23, 2023, and filed in the Northern District of Illinois Court in Chicago, Adeniji stated, “I am familiar with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is now the President of Nigeria. I was a student at Chicago State University from 1977 to 1979, and Bola Tinubu and I were in the same course of study. I also ran in a closely-contested race against Bola Tinubu for the Leadership of Accounting Society Club of the Department of Business Administration/Accounting. I also recognize and know the person who I attended Chicago State University with, Bola A. Tinubu, is the same person who is now the President of Nigeria.”
The legal dispute over President Tinubu’s academic records arose after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar secured an application for Chicago State University to release the president’s academic records to his legal team. A magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, subsequently ordered the university to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to Atiku’s legal team within two days.
Atiku is currently challenging President Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election and his affirmation by an election petition court in Nigeria. The documents sought by Atiku include admission records, transcripts, degrees, awards, and honors attained by President Tinubu at Chicago State University.
In response, President Tinubu’s legal team has requested that only his certificate be released to Atiku’s legal team while protecting privileged information such as admission records and transcripts. The case continues to unfold in the U.S. district court, with both parties presenting their arguments before Judge Nancy Maldonado.