Law

We have more damning revelations on Tinubu’s academic credentials, says Atiku’s lawyers

Published

2 years ago

August 26, 2023

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Lawyers of former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, after thoroughly scrutinizing the documents of Bola Tinubu at the Chicago State University (CSU) have claimed to have stumbled on more damning revelations.
This is coming after a recent confession by lawyers representing the interest of President Bola Tinubu that documents of his academic records submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are fraught with errors and inconsistencies.

Recall that President Tinubu’s lawyers on Wednesday in response to the petition of Atiku in a federal court in Chicago, Illinois for the discovery of the documents of Tinubu at the Chicago State University (CSU) agreed that there are errors in the academic certificate presented to INEC by the President, and blamed those errors on the clerk of the university.

Recall also that both the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi have asked for a disqualification of President Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election on account of forgery allegation made against him before the Presidential Election Petition Court.

A slew of court documents submitted by Atiku’s lawyers both in the United States and Nigeria show disturbing discrepancies and circumstantial fallacies in the documents purportedly obtained by the Chicago State University pertaining to Tinubu’s academic records from the university.

One of the documents, for instance, is the certified true copy of the certificate submitted by Tinubu to INEC on 17th June 2022, and according to Atiku’s lawyers, “this, purportedly, is the certificate issued to him by Chicago State University (“CSU”) showing that he attended the school, and evidencing the degree he was awarded.

“In another document is a copy of a letter dated September 22, 2022 from Mr. Caleb Westberg, the Registrar of CSU, is attaching a copy of the certificate issued to Bola Tinubu in recognition of the degree he was awarded by the university.

“There is another document, which is a copy of the certificate forwarded by Mr. Westberg, as mentioned above, is in response to a subpoena that was issued to CSU in respect of Bola Tinubu’s academic qualifications and achievements.

“There is also a copy of the bio of Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson. Dr. Lubin-Johnson was the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of CSU from January 2001 to December 2002.

“Also is a copy of the bio of Dr. Elnora D. Daniel. Dr. Daniel was the President of CSU from 1998 to 2008.”

However, the interesting thing upon further examination of these documents is that while they all speak to the same subject matter, which is Tinubu’s academic qualifications from the Chicago State University, they all bear different details.

“The document marked “A” is the certificate submitted by Tinubu to INEC. This certificate is in every material respect, exactly the same as the document marked “B” except for the following:

“Document “A” is signed by at least 3 people whereas “B” is signed by only 2 people.

“The document marked “E” states that Tinubu was issued a certificate on 22nd June 1979 but then proceeded to forward a copy of a certificate (“B”) dated 27th June 1979. Please note that “A” is actually dated 22nd June 1979, but this document did not emanate from CSU. Only “B” did.

“It is clear that either “A” or “B” is fake (if not both). You cannot have two certificates issued by the same university, to the same person, for the same course of study, but issued on different dates and signed by two different sets of people.

“The documents “A” and “B” both state that Tinubu graduated with a BSc in “Business AND Administration” whereas, document “E” (which came from CSU) states that he graduated with a BSc in “Business Administration”. It is important to note that CSU’s website states that “The College of Business offers a contemporary business program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration or Masters in Business Administration (MBA)”. Nowhere is there any reference to “Business AND Administration” throughout the website.

“If you look at both “A” and “B”, it would appear that one of them is fake. Further interrogation of both documents, however, tells that BOTH certificates may well be fake – notwithstanding that “B” was purportedly issued by CSU.”

The lawyers argue further while, “both certificates were purportedly signed by Dr. Elnora D. Daniel. This is physically impossible, as Dr. Daniel was only President of CSU from 1998 to 2008. She was neither president of the university in 1979 – when the certificate was purportedly issued – nor was she president in 2022, when the replacement certificates were issued. (See document marked “D1” and “D2”)

“Certificate “A” was purportedly signed by two other people apart from Dr. Elnora D. Daniel. These names are not clear and it is indicative of a deliberate attempt to confuse the reader into believing the authenticity of the document.

“Certificate “A” was purportedly signed by Dr. Niva Lubin (please note that her name is actually Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson and every public document or reference bears her full name and not the abbreviation). This is also physically impossible, as Dr. Lubin-Johnson was the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of CSU from January 2001 to December 2002 only. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees only in 1996 and was not made the Chairperson until five years later. Dr. Lubin-Johnson was neither a member of the Board of Trustees nor its Chairperson in 1979 – when the purportedly issued certificate – nor was she Chairperson in 2022, when the replacement certificate was purportedly issued. (See document marked “C1” and “C2”).”

Another graphic discrepancy in the certificate emanating from Tinubu and the one presented by the CSU upon subpoena is that the two bear different letter fonts and logos of the Chicago State University.

Atiku, it will be recalled had approached a Chicago Illinois District court to subpoena a full discovery of Tinubu’s academic records from the CSU where the president stated under oath to have graduated in 1979 having completed his undergraduate studies in Accounting.

It will also be recalled that Tinubu had instructed his lawyers to ask the court to decline the request by Atiku, citing confidentiality.

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Law

MAMBILLA: Court halts proceedings, adjurns over EFCC’s invalid prosecution witness against Agunloye

Published

11 months ago

May 30, 2024

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The hearing of the criminal charges against the former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, which formally began at the FCT Court Thursday, 30 May 2024 before the same Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie was stalled over presentation of invalid prosecution witness by EFCC against Agunloye

EFCC is prosecuting Dr. Agunloye for “awarding in 2003 a $6 billion Build, Operate and Transfer $¾(BOT) contract without cash backing, disobeying oral directives of the President, forging his own letter as a sitting Minister and receiving a retroactive bribe of N3.6 million 16 years after.” To prove its case, EFCC has listed seven witnesses excluding former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who had earlier volunteered to testify at the court.

At the court, EFCC presented its first Prosecution Witness (PW1), Mr Adewale as “representative of the Guaranty Trust Bank”. He was brought to discuss the GTBank statement of accounts presented by EFCC. But the moment Mr Adewale disclosed that he was not in the employment of GTBank, the defence lawyers quickly pointed out the aberration to the court which immediately halted the presentation of Mr Adewale. The court promptly stopped the proceedings and adjourned the hearing till Monday, 10 June 2024 to enable the EFCC regularise its Prosecution Witness Number One.

It will be recalled that the former Minister, Dr. Olu. Agunloye, has consistently asserted that he did not commit any crime, and that EFCC is prosecuting him to corroborate FGN’s pleas at the arbitration in France hoping to free FGN from liabilities in the Arbitration even though FGN knows that the issues that led to the international arbitration were caused under Buhari’s APC Government and not by Agunloye. However, Agunloye will have to combat the emergent bias, prejudice, and prejudgment on the part of the trial judge and has to struggle very hard for justice in Nigeria.

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Law

EFCC to arraign Bello on Thursday over alleged N80.2b money laundering

Published

1 year ago

April 17, 2024

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has indicated it will on Thursday, April 18, 2024 arraign a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The antigraft agency said Bello will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19- count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246,470, 088.88
The arraignment is being perfected following a warrant of arrest and enrolment order granted the EFCC by the court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

Count one of the charges reads: That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu( Still at large), sometime, in February, 2016, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80, 246,470, 088.88 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended”.

Count 17 of the charges read: “That you Yahaya Bello between 26th July 2021 to 6th April 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal the aggregate sum of N3081,804,654.00( Three Billion, Eighty One Million Eight Hundred and Four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access BankPlc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act.

Count 18 of the charges reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello sometime in November 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly procured E-Traders international Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330.00( Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand , Three Hundred and Thirty Dollars) to account number 4266644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act”.

“The Commission’s attempt to execute the Warrant of Arrest lawfully obtained against Bello met stiff resistance on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The security cordon around the former governor’s residence in Abuja was breached by the current Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo who ensured that the suspect was spirited away in his official vehicle.
“As a responsible law enforcement agency, the EFCC exercised restraint in the face of the provocation, waiting for his arraignment on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

“It is needful to state that Bello is not above the law and would be brought to justice as soon as possible.”

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Law

Court bars Ganduje from parading himself as member of APC

Published

1 year ago

April 17, 2024

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Yhe Kano State High Court has granted an ex parte order restraining the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, from parading himself as a member of the party.

The court ordered that Ganduje must refrain from presiding over all affairs of the National Working Committee of the APC.

The application waa said to have been granted by Justice Usman Na’abba on Tuesday, following an ex parte motion filed by Dr. Ibrahim Sa’ad on behalf of two executive members of Ganduje’s ward, Dawakin-Tofa Local Government Area, the Assistant Secretary, Laminu Sani and Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo (plaintiffs), who were part of the nine ward executives who suspended Ganduje on Monday.

The court directed the four parties (respondents) joined in the matter, including the APC, NWC, APC Kano State Working Committee, and Ganduje, to henceforth, maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15th,2024 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit on April 30th 2024

Justice Na’abba, also held as prayed, stopped State Working Committee APC Kano from interfering with the legally and validly considered decision of executives of Ganduje ward, essentially on action endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the executives as provided by the party constitution.

The ex parte order read,, “An order is hereby granted directing all parties in the suit APC (first), APC National Working Committee (second), Kano State Working Committee APC (third), Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje (fourth), to maintain status quo ante belum as of April 15, 2024.
“The order thereby restraining the first respondent (APC) from recognising the fourth respondent (Ganduje) as a member of APC and prohibiting the fourth respondent (Ganduje) from presiding over any affairs of the NWC and restraining the state Working Committee from interfering with the legally and validly decision of the ward executives of Ganduje ward.

“That the fourth respondent (Ganduje}is prohibited from parading himself as a . member of APC or doing any act that may _ portray him or seem to be a member of APC pending the hearing and determination of the
substantive suit.”

Nine members of the Ganduje ward proclaimed the suspension of the National Chairman of the APC over the allegation of corruption slammed on him by the Kano State Government.

The nine APC executives said they were prompted to act following a petition written by one Ja’afaru Adamu, a member of the AP from the National chairman’s polling unit.

in the petition, Adamu complained over allegations of corruption charges against the
former governor just as he urged the ward leaders to investigate the matter to redeem the dented image of the party and the implication on President Bola Tinubu’s fight against corruption.

Although the chairman and secretary of the ward failed to act on the petition filed en April 8, 2024, nine members of the executives, led by the legal adviser, acted upon the petition, a decision that led to Ganduje’s suspension.

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