Chicago state university locks X account over Tinubu records’ backlash

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

Chicago State University has locked its X (formerly Twitter) account from the general public amid growing pressure over the academic records of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

The university’s decision to lock its account comes after Tinubu’s principal opponent in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, requested court approval to subpoena Tinubu’s files from CSU.

Abubakar believes that the documents would clarify inconsistencies in Tinubu’s background, including publicly available records that suggest that CSU admitted a female student bearing Tinubu’s name in the 1970s.

Tinubu has filed a motion to prevent a federal court in the United States from releasing his academic records to Abubakar. The university has claimed that a clerk was responsible for irregularities on a certificate that was reprinted in Tinubu’s name.

Amid the legal tussle, Abubakar has mocked Tinubu on Twitter, asking him to reveal how he obtained a degree from CSU without attending primary and secondary school. Abubakar’s tweet sparked widespread reactions, with the hashtag “#AskTinubu” trending on Twitter on Sunday as Nigerians discussed Tinubu’s academic records.