A high-stakes legal move to nullify President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic qualification from Chicago State University (CSU) is gathering momentum in the United States, as a civic advocacy group backed by a U.S. law firm pushes for judicial intervention that could undermine the Nigerian leader’s 2027 re-election bid.
The Options Law Group, P.C., a Chicago-based law firm, has been retained by the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, a Nigerian civic organisation, to initiate a mandamus action compelling CSU to revoke Tinubu’s 1979 degree. The basis of the suit is an alleged falsification of credentials used to gain admission into the university in 1977.
In a letter dated April 1, 2025, addressed to the general counsel of CSU and copied to the Illinois Attorney General’s office, the law firm warned, “If we do not hear from you or your general counsel by the end of the fourteen (14) days, all legal rights shall be explored, including, but not limited to, legal proceedings necessary in accordance with state and federal laws.”
The advocacy group, led by Nigerian lawyer Kalu Kalu Agu, contends that President Tinubu presented a secondary school certificate from Government College, Lagos, purportedly obtained in 1970. However, the institution was established in 1974 and did not graduate any students until later years, raising questions about the authenticity of the submitted records.
“Our client has presented facts which a reasonable person can conclude that Bola A. Tinubu, a former student of the Chicago State University, class of 1979, misrepresented material and misleading facts on admission application to CSU in 1977,” Options Law Group wrote in a separate submission to Illinois Attorney-General Kwame Raoul.
In 2023, under oath and through its registrar Caleb Westberg, CSU confirmed that Tinubu was indeed admitted and graduated. However, the school said it could not authenticate the certificate presented to Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during his 2023 presidential run.
Documents tendered in compliance with a federal judge’s subpoena revealed that Tinubu gained admission to CSU using a high school certificate from Government College, Lagos. That certificate, the law firm argues, was fraudulent because the school did not exist at the time the document claims it was issued.
The legal strategy now being prepared seeks a judicial order—known as a mandamus—that would compel CSU administrators to revoke the degree granted to Tinubu on the grounds that the admission itself was based on false information. The firm is reportedly leveraging precedents in U.S. law that allow universities to rescind degrees procured through misrepresentation.
In 1987, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled in Crook v. Baker that institutions could revoke degrees obtained through fraudulent means, stating, “The integrity of academic awards must be protected to maintain public confidence in educational systems.” Similar judgments have since reinforced the position across other jurisdictions.
A case cited by the firm includes a 2020 ruling in Trauth v. K.E. where the Texas Court of Appeals supported a university’s decision to withdraw a degree if evidence of academic dishonesty was present, provided due process was followed. Both rulings underscore the legal basis for Options Law Group’s looming action.
In response to the legal developments, Tinubu’s U.S.-based attorney, Oluwole Afolabi, issued a statement dismissing the lawsuit as meritless. “The U.S. judicial system has no tolerance for frivolous expeditions,” Afolabi said. “This is a matter that has been litigated to the fullest, and Nigerians have already moved on.”
While Afolabi maintains that the matter has been resolved, documents show that the only certificate Tinubu presented to INEC was the CSU degree. He did not submit any supporting documentation for his primary or secondary education. Instead, he claimed in an affidavit that those records were stolen during a raid on his Lagos home in the 1990s by military agents.
The Nigerian Constitution requires that a presidential candidate must have at least a secondary school certificate or its equivalent. The absence of such documentation in Tinubu’s INEC submission, and the disputed origin of the degree he did provide, form the crux of the new legal challenge.
Although Mr. Agu, who leads the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, has long-standing affiliations with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he denied receiving any directive or funding from Abubakar. “This is a matter of public interest,” Agu told The Nigeria Education News.
A spokesperson for Abubakar declined comment on whether the former PDP presidential candidate had foreknowledge or involvement in the new U.S. legal proceedings. However, the lawsuit—if admitted by U.S. courts—could reignite debates about Tinubu’s eligibility and credibility just as the 2027 election cycle begins.
The Nigerian Supreme Court had previously sidestepped issues relating to Tinubu’s academic record in its October 2023 ruling affirming his election. But legal analysts believe the outcome of this new battle in U.S. courts could force Nigerian institutions to revisit the matter if a court revokes the certificate.
As at press time, CSU had not issued an official response to the April warning letter or any indication of internal review. Meanwhile, Options Law Group is finalising its case, with expectations to file in Illinois’ federal court by mid-June.
Whether or not the U.S. court grants the mandamus, the lawsuit marks a significant turn in the long-running scrutiny of President Tinubu’s academic past—and a fresh legal frontier that could shape Nigeria’s democratic landscape ahead of 2027.
