A Nigerian advocacy organisation, the Center for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address long-standing questions surrounding the authenticity of academic credentials President Bola Tinubu used to qualify for the 2023 presidential election.

In a formal letter addressed to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, the group urged the commission to clarify the status of the Chicago State University certificate presented by Tinubu, warning that failure to do so could jeopardise the credibility of the electoral process ahead of 2027.

The correspondence, dated June 19, 2026, was signed by the group's Head of Legal Unit, Barrister Kalu Agu, and delivered to INEC's Abuja headquarters the same day.

According to the group, its concerns are rooted in discrepancies tied to Tinubu's secondary education history. The letter claims that while the president stated he attended Government College Lagos from 1960 and graduated in 1970, records show the institution was not established until 1974 — a discrepancy the group says raises questions about the legitimacy of the certificates submitted to gain admission into the American university.

CFRPA further alleged that academic records obtained through a U.S. court-ordered disclosure — stemming from a discovery case filed during litigation involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar — revealed inconsistencies in documents Tinubu submitted to Chicago State University, including questions over a Cambridge examination certificate from 1970.

The group is pressing INEC to determine whether these findings have implications for Tinubu's eligibility to seek re-election in 2027, citing constitutional provisions — Sections 137(1)(j) and 285(14) — that empower the commission to disqualify candidates found to be ineligible or who present fraudulent academic records.

CFRPA noted it had separately petitioned the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, seeking an official disclaimer regarding the authenticity of Tinubu's NYSC discharge certificate, which it also alleges was forged.

The organisation appealed directly to Amupitan, a law professor and senior advocate, to apply his legal expertise in resolving the matter, describing the issue as a test of INEC's neutrality in future elections.

CFRPA cautioned that should INEC fail to make its position public, it would pursue legal action to prevent the commission from accepting Tinubu's name as a presidential candidate, arguing he lacks alternative primary and secondary school certificates to submit.

The group stated it remains hopeful that INEC will respond appropriately, while reiterating that, under Section 137(1)(g) of the Constitution, any candidate found to have submitted forged credentials would be disqualified from contesting for the presidency.

As of the time of this report, INEC had not issued a public response to the allegations.