The ongoing battle to oust President Bola Tinubu for his documented misdeeds heightened yesterday after Chicago State University testified under oath that the Nigerian leader presented a forged degree certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the build-up to the presidential election.

According to Peoples Gazette, the official repudiation of Mr Tinubu’s certificate (the only academic qualification he presented to INEC) came at a deposition of school officials on Tuesday in Chicago.

Caleb Westberg, the registrar at Chicago State University, said Mr Tinubu’s certificate, dated June 22, 1979, and tendered to INEC on June 17, 2022, was not issued by the school.

He also noted that the school’s administrators could, therefore, not be able to authenticate its source.

Further reports say a spokesman for the president was not immediately available for reaction to the development on Tuesday night.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had urged a United States judge to place a hold on the order for his university records to be released.

This, he said, will save him from suffering severe and irreparable damage.

Meanwhile, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar had filed his application for Tinubu’s academic records under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 on August 2, 2023, and the Court referred the matter to Magistrate Judge Gilbert for resolution.

In reaction, Tinubu filed a motion to intervene in the action which Atiku Abubakar opposed and the Court granted it.