President Bola Tinubu’s alleged certificate forgery is a tip of the iceberg in the political governance of Nigeria. In fact, on 20 February 2023, eighteen Nigerian nurses were charged to court for certificate forgery. On 13 March 2023, The Vanguard newspaper (Lagos, Nigeria) reported another case of 43 Nigerian nurses charged for certificate forgery. They were accused of engaging in a scheme to sell false and fraudulent nursing certificates. And perhaps more disturbingly, the Texas Board of Nursing has also charged more than 75 Nigerian nurses to court for engagement in falsification of certificates. This situation shows clearly that Tinubu’s case is not really a big deal at the Nigerian domestic level, but more than a big deal in terms of foreign policy implications. Certificate forgery is now both for educational and political survival. It is now very rampant. But why?
At the domestic level, there was the first case of Evan or Evans Enwerem who had the same problem as Tinubu today. Enwerem was elected to represent the Imo-East Senatorial Zone in the Fourth Senate of the Fourth Republic inaugurated in May 1999. He was elected with the active support of President Olusegun Obasanjo to the detriment of the more popularly- supported Chuba Okadigbo. Enwerem won with 66 votes while Okadigbo scored 45 votes. Enwerem was ousted from power on November 18, 1999, that is, five months after his inauguration as Senate President. He was impeached due to his first name identity arising from falsification of his documents which had his first name as Evans, and not as Evan. Documentary name is different from name in usage.
An August edition of The Tell Magazine claimed that the first Senate President had falsified his name which prompted the establishment by the National Assembly of an investigation committee. Enwerem simply argued that it was a typographical error which was not accepted. Okadigbo’s supporters posited that he feigned his age and name ‘for a dubious gain.’ He was also accused of corruption and was removed when he followed the presidential entourage to the airport to see off Obasanjo. Khairat Abdulrasaq (PDP, representing the FCT) led some other Senators to mobilise signatures for Enwerem’s removal. Okadigbo expectedly succeeded him.
More notably in this case is the fact that Enwerem was deposed. It is more interesting in terms of intellectual enquiry. Enwerem remained a Senate floor member until the end of his tenure in 2003 while Okadigbo was impeached in 2000 similarly on corruption charges.
In essence, was Evans Ekwerem the same person as Evan Ekwerem? Is the problem a typographical error? Whatever is the case, there is no disputing the fact that several political leaders have a political lifestyle that is fraught with chicanery, conscious dishonesty of purpose, attitudinal bigotry, and romance with political dishonesty. These are the people that have always found their way to leadership positions in Nigeria and who the security agencies have always cleared for election purposes.
Unlike Enwerem, Tinubu’s alleged certificate forgery is more interesting in terms of intellectual posterity. Tinubu’s case is not the first of certificate forgeries. What makes it very interesting is that nothing has been done institutionally to nip in the bud the commissioning of fresh potential crimes of certificate forgery. It also raises three main problems: extent of importance of a name identity, constitutional eligibility in a presidential election, Tinubu’s changing narration of the presumed truths, and foreign policy implications.
As regards name identity, it should first be noted that Tinubu is not the first person to be confronted with queries about his true identity. Besides, he also has the problem of age in addition to identity problem like Enwerem. So a name is not simply for identification. It is also a reflection of personality and character. A name must never be taken for granted, including order of arrangement and presentation of the names. If there was a serious problem with Evans and Evan, why should anyone be talking about a typographical error as an excuse?
Tinubu’s true age has been subject of public debate. His origin has also been subject of query: Lagos or Iragbiji? Again, is the name Bola Tinubu that of a male or female? Apparently, there might have been a male Bola Tinubu and a female Bola Tinubu. The male Tinubu was born in 1952 while the female Tinubu was born in 1954 and she is said to be alive. Questions are also being raised as to why the female Tinubu has not come out to speak on the alleged forged certificate reportedly carrying the status of a female? Wole Soyinka is also being publicly queried for keeping silent on Tinubu’s alleged forged certificate, considering that the Nobel Laureat had always been seen to be completely detribalised in his attitudinal orientation. He is always arguing on the basis of objectivity of purpose. He also strongly believes that Tinubu won the 2023 presidential elections.
On constitutional eligibility for presidential election, Section 137 (1) (J) of the 1999 Constitution as amended in 2010 provides that ‘a person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.’ As noted by the Registrar of the Chicago State University (CSU), the certificate of Tinubu (PBAT) was dated June 22, 1979 and tendered to the INEC on June 17, 2022 but the certificate was not issued by the school.
More important, the registrar noted further in his oral deposition at the US Court that on the certificates tendered in the documents given to Atiku Abubakar, ‘the University only has Diplomas that students didn’t pick up in its possession. The University does not typically keep Diplomas. I have the Diploma that was made available to Mr. Enahoro-Ebah in our possession because Mr. Tinubu did not pick it up. I do not have the Diploma that was submitted to INEC in our possession because he had picked it up.’
The issue to address by Nigerians in the CSU registrar’s deposition is not whether Tinubu truly attended the Chicago State University but whether he forged any certificate or document to enter the Chicago State University. If he did forge a document, was the forged document presented to the INEC for electoral purposes? This question is quite relevant here because Tinubu was involved in a similar certificate and identity controversy in 1999. He succeeded to manage the crisis and he escaped retribution. The 2023 renewal of the problem is generating a more heated debate and seriously threatening national cohesion.
In fact, Tinubu has been given different names: a drug pusher, a certificate forger, etc. But why is he so referred to? Is he more terrible than other politicians in spite of what his many controversies and his personality have been generating? Our simple answer is that the politico-administrative system, and particularly the conduct and management of public affairs, is largely driven by attitudinal magouilles, a French word for ‘jìbìtì’ in Yoruba language and malpractice in English language.’
Concerning the changing narratives of the truth, Tinubu’s lawyers first posited that former Vice President Abubakar Atiku was only going on a fishing expedition by going to the United States court. When the US court confirmed the studentship of Tinubu, it is argued that there was no mention of forgery and fake certificate in the deposition before and by the court. Currently it is argued that the issue of forged certificate is not before the Supreme Court of Nigeria on which Tinubu’s men now heavily rely. This is a situation of shifting the goal post as convenient.
But without any shadow of doubt, the Supreme Court can only admit consideration of the new discovery in the event of a fresh evidence. Even though PBAT made a mistake that he obtained a BSc degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and his associate, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, later said it was a mistake and that the degree was from the Chicago State University, the problematic to address still remains whether there is a case of perjury or forgery.
As there is still a case of controversial forgery, the implications cannot be far-fetched. For instance, on the arrival of a KLM airline from Lagos in Amsterdam, the chief hostess announced that all Nigerians in the aircraft should be seated until all other passengers have left the plane. After, every Nigerian on the plane had his or her passport re-checked. This is one major implication of Tinubu’s certificate forgery saga.
The trending perception today is that Tinubu forged his certificate of entry into the Chicago State University (CSU), based on the submission of the CSU and on the attitudinal disposition of Tinubu, who has vehemently opposed the release of his academic credentials to the public, fearing that such a release might permanently damage his political career and taint his personality. Another implication is that every Nigerian in various educational institutions will be suspected henceforth. Tinubu cannot earn any international respect anymore without reservation. His international image has been damaged beyond repair. Domestically, we contend here that Tinubu’s personality is not and cannot be damaged in Nigeria because, a friend sleeping with the wife of another friend, engaging in public embezzlements, whose lifestyle is corruption- and indiscipline-driven, and whose behaviour is irrational are generally always celebrated regardless of government’s anti-corruption agencies which are fighting crimes, societal corruption and indiscipline selectively. The handling of whether President Muhammadu Buhari has a West African School Certificate is a mute question. People not found guilty of corruption and crimes in Nigeria are tried, convicted, as well as sentenced to imprisonment abroad. Why is Nigeria’s polity built on dishonest infrastructures? Why should anyone not happy with the situation told to go to the court in which people do not have much trust? After all, Salisu Buhari was pardoned. Is it not a life of magouilles in Nigeria which goes beyond the diplomacy of certificate forgery?
