A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kano State, Sagir Mai Iyali, has asked the presidential screening committee to disqualify the national leader of the party Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, from participating in the primary for allegedly falsifying his graduation from the University of Chicago.
Iyali in a petition dated May 17, 2022 and addressed to the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, alleged that Tinubu falsified documents he tendered to INEC in 1999 while contesting Lagos State governorship election.
The APC presidential screen led by a former national chairman of the party, John Oyegun, holds at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja ahead of the party primary scheduled for June 6-8.
Iyali also said Tinubu met the required age to contest the office of president, but alleged that his age is unknown, adding that obscurity surrounding the presidential hopeful could jeopardise the APC chances at the polls.
The petition reads in part, “We understand that Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has since procured his expression of interest and nomination forms and has submitted the same to the party has certain issues that clearly amount to a similar disqualification scenario.
“From the information contained in prior submissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly in 1999, Mr. Tinubu presented a false claim, on oath, of his attendance at University of Chicago from 1972-1976.
“It is clear now that these claims are false. Not only was this filed in the INEC form with a declaration on oath on December 20 1999, it was also contained in an affidavit of loss sworn to before the High Court of Lagos, Ikeja Registry, December 29th 1998.
“The latter claim that seeks to transpose history is untenable. Mr. Tinubu has to show proof he attended University of Chicago or he must stand disqualified as the opposition is in possession of these same documents. Over the years, the identity of Asiwaju Bola Anmed Tinubu has been shrouded in secrecy.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu rather chose and prefers an incognito lifestyle. Part of the man that has remained hidden is his educational background. We therefore urge the screening committee to invoke the powers vested on it by the constitution and guidelines of the party to disqualify Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from taking part in the APC primary election for the presidential election.”
However, Tinubu had previously admitted there were errors in the form he submitted to INEC in 1999.
He was also cleared by the Lagos State House of Assembly of deliberately lying on his qualifications, although the lawmakers were accused of being “hasty” in their investigation.
