***as lawmakers suggest ways to improve future elections
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday congratulated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, over the affirmation of their victory in the March 18 governorship election by the Court of Appeal.
The lawmakers also said there was a need for the National Assembly’s electoral committee to work on issues of delay in voters registration as well as the high number of election cases handled by the Courts of Appeal.
This position of the lawmakers followed a letter read by the Clerk of the House, Barrister Olalekan Onafeko, informing the House that the National Assembly Committee on Electoral Act would have a three-day retreat in Lagos.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Mojisola Lasbat-Meranda, who presided over plenary on behalf of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, agreed that registration of voters should be a continuous exercise in order to accommodate more eligible voters.
Lasbat-Meranda suggested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can start requesting for means of identification in the course of registering voters to ascertain an electorate’s actual places of residence.
The Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petition and LASIEC, Hon. Ajomale Oladipo, had earlier identified delay in voters registration and post-election legal matters as two challenges that the committee should tackle.
The lawmaker said that after general elections, Appeal Courts face the hurdle of attending to many cases leading to delayed judgements.
He added that the Electoral Act should accommodate state High Courts to handle some of the cases.
The Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Noheem Adams, said it was necessary for the National Assembly to create more awareness about the electoral review exercise while Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, representing Kosofe 1, suggested that the Electoral Act should accommodate diaspora voting.
On his part, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa Constituency 2, urged the electoral committee to look into situations where people are mobilised to vote in areas where they are not resident.
“They occupy hotels during elections to sleep and leave for their states of residence after voting. Something should be done to address this,” he said.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Media Assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Last Sunday, November 12, like the Sundays before it, was a huge spectacle at the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach in Okota, Lagos.
Founded by Evangelist Chukwuebuka Anozie Obi, the ministry has become synonymous with stories of mind-boggling miracles of healings and deliverances occurring either at Zion City there or those witnessed in different parts of the world.
The testimonies come from people who say they were located during online prayers by Evangelist Ebuka or were healed after using Seraphic Water and Seraphic Oil blessed by the Spiritual Director of the ministry, Ebuka.
The people who testified to their healing last Sunday included a woman who had breast cancer; a US-based kidney disease patient (Onyedikachi), and Beatrice Obiozor from United Kingdom who had glaucoma for 40 years and was healed after surgery failed to rectify the problem.
There was also the story of Pirekina Anyanwu of Isiala Mbano, Imo State, who flew in from Florida, US, to testify to how the Seraphic oil and water healed his spinal chord injury and saved him from a highly risky surgery recommended by doctors.
FirstBank Celebrates Annual Week of Kindness, Partners NCF to Begin Planting of 50,000 Trees Over Three Years
In furtherance of its leading role in promoting socio-economic development, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced the commencement of its Annual Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Week.
For the past seven years, FirstBank colleagues and customers come together to participate in global annual volunteer (Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness) SPARK initiative, to give back to and foster positive change within the communities where they live and work. This has seen an impact of over 200,000 lives across eight countries, over 103 charities supported as well as over 121,015 volunteer hours achieved.
The activities of the 2023 edition, which is scheduled for 23 to 28 October 2023, include Tree Planting, Women Empowerment, SPARK Schools Engagement, Orphanage Homes, the less privileged engagement, and Kind Comments Day.
In partnership with Nigeria Conservation Foundation, FirstBank employees and partners will progress its planting activity which targets 50,000 trees over a three-year period from 2023. Tree planting is one of FirstBank’s initiatives to reduce its carbon footprints and promote environmental sustainability as part of its overarching sustainability and ESG (Environment, Social & Governance) strategy and in alignment with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation’s Forest Programme – Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN) which is designed to help increase Nigeria forest cover from its current state of about 4-7% to 25% by 2047.
Additionally, in line with FirstBank’s commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG) of women empowerment, the Bank will support cancer foundations focused on women and skills acquisition for women on 25 and 26 October 2023. As a member of UN Women, FirstBank employs the relevant women empowerment tools to empower women internally and externally as well as partner with International Women Society to drive skills acquisition.
The Kind Comments Day is an advocacy campaign encouraging staff, customers, and other stakeholders to say kind things about one another. It focuses on inspiring and encouraging people to be deliberate about the use of kind words in relation to others.
On 27 October 2023, staff of the Bank will visit schools for the SPARK School Engagement. This activity is aimed at engaging school students through the Bank’s employees on financial literacy and inculcating and equipping young people with entrepreneurship skillset and mindset to inspire self-belief despite the increasingly daunting economic challenges while preparing them for the future of work.
Rounding off the 2023 CR&S Week will be visits to Orphanage Homes, the less privileged engagement which will hold on 28 October 2023. Orphanages, including the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs), will be visited in six geo-political zones in Nigeria as well as other SSA markets.
“At FirstBank, we are committed to promoting the culture of kindness as it continues to engender positive relationships with our host communities. By making kindness a way of life, we build stronger communities, foster empathy, and create a positive ripple effect that extends far beyond this week, said Ms. Folake Ani-Mumuney, the Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications for FirstBank.
It’s great to see our volunteers demonstrate their continued commitment to positively impact our communities. In the spirit of kindness, I encourage everyone to join us in celebrating the FirstBank Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability week as we make kindness a part of our daily lives, interacting with one another in impactfully memorable ways,” she concluded.
FirstBank has continued to receive awards and recognition for its consistent positive impact and performance from reputable companies globally. Amongst these awards and accolades are the Most Socially Responsible Bank (2018) (International Finance Banking Awards); CSR Bank of the Year (2020) Business Day Banking & Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards; Market Leader Nigeria (CSR) Euromoney Market Leaders 2022; Best CSR Bank Nigeria (2021) (Global Banking and Finance magazine); Excellence in Women Economic Empowerment (2019) (Central Bank of Nigeria); Market Leader Nigeria (ESG) Euromoney Market Leaders 2022.
– says Akiolu’s reign has brought peace to Lagos State
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has described Oba Rilwanu Akiolu as a blessing to Lagos adding that at 80, the revered monarch had contributed immensely to the progress of the state.
Dr. Obasa, the Baa’sofin of Lagos, said this in a congratulatory statement to mark the traditional ruler’s 80th birthday on Sunday.
Praising Oba Akiolu for his contributions to the advancement of Lagos and its cultural institution, Obasa said the monarch had made indelible footprints in the history of the state with the way he has constantly stood for its peace and growth.
The Speaker, who extolled the virtues of the king as the Permanent Chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs, further appreciated him for his guidance, advice and love.
“It gives me immense joy to honour a monarch whose reign as the Oba of Lagos has been characterised by unwavering dedication and compassion for his people.
“Your guidance and leadership have propelled the political class and our dear state to greater heights, fostering progress, unity and prosperity.
“Your wisdom and wise counselling have touched countless lives, inspiring generations to strive for excellence and embrace the values of tradition and progress.
“As head of the traditional council of our state, you have demonstrably employed your throne to strengthen the bond among the traditional rulers in diverse communities paving the way for that enduring peace that we all enjoy today.
“You are, indeed, a blessing to our dear state and country.
“On behalf of my family, colleagues, management and staff of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I congratulate you on this occasion of your 80th birthday. This milestone is truly worthy of celebration,” Obasa said.
The Speaker prayed for more strength and wisdom for the monarch so that he would continue to use his wealth of experience and passion for peace to support the goal of sustaining the enviable position of Lagos in Nigeria.
“May your reign continue to be a blessing that constantly ushers in abundant accomplishments for generations to come and may you continue to enjoy sound health and happiness, amin,” Obasa prayed.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Media assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Owner’s Mismanagement may Force the Closure of Oyo Popular Radio Station
A popular radio station in Oyo State may be winding up to get out of broadcasting business soon. The station, which boasts as the first ‘three-language’ radio station and owned by a southwest activist seems not able to adapt to current economic realities.
According to an old member of staff who prefers anonymity, “the proprietor of the station has the habit of using and dumping his staff and not paying. He is also fond of taking actions to frustrate his staff out of the company just to avoid paying any outstanding salaries. I was owed several months salary and not paid till date. Anytime I remember the time I spent working in that organization, I always feel I invested and wasted the meaningful part of my life with an unworthy organization”.
It was also gathered that the station has been blacklisted by several clients (agencies and companies) due to transmission inconsistencies. The source revealed that the proprietor enjoys to tamper with transmission procedures of the station without notice, making himself the alpha and Omega of the station’s operations. This news outlet also got reliably informed that the proprietor runs the accounts at will without transparency, making it very difficult for any management team to work independently.
While some so called activists complain about leadership at the national level, we must also check their private leadership roles vis-a-vis what they claim to stand for. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
While this news outlet compiles other authentic proofs, we assure you of more updates soon.
The Great Ifẹ̀ Empire and Its Legacy: A Blueprint for Mending Our Broken World- Akin Ogundiran
Excerpts of the Keynote Address Presented by Prof. Ogundiran at the Opening of the International Conference, “Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation: The Nexus between Tradition and Modernity,” at Ojaja Arena, Ile-Ife, October 10, 2023
I pay homage to His Imperial Majesty, Ọ̀ọ̀ni Adéyẹyè Ẹniìtàn Babatúndé Ògúnwùsì, Ọ̀jájá II. I salute government representatives, all the Ọba, Olori, Chieftains, Princes and Princesses, Vice Chancellors, University Administrators, Fellow Scholars, and Conferees—distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. I am honored to join you this morning. I commend the Imperial Majesty for his vision and generous support for this conference on Yoruba history. My commendation also goes to the conference conveners led by eminent historian Professor Siyan.
In the next three days, the conferees will explore different aspects of Ife history, ancient, recent, and contemporary. They will do so from several disciplinary angles. A multigenerational cast of speakers will showcase their recent discoveries from archaeology to archives, oral tradition to rituals. My contribution this morning focuses on answering the following questions: How can we use the past to guide our present? How can the true knowledge of our history, unmitigated by politics and ideology, set us free from the bondage of ignorance that has broken our world?
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I chose “The Great Ifẹ̀ Empire and Its Legacy: A Blueprint for Mending Our Broken World” as the title of my keynote address because of my sincere belief that history has a purpose. In our clime, the ultimate purpose of historical study is to uplift our spirit, explain how we got here, and use historical knowledge to restore and repair our broken selves. Like many of you at this conference, I am committed to studying history so I can use the knowledge of the past to create a new mirror that we can use to look at ourselves. Those who use other people’s mirrors to look at themselves are bound to see distorted images of themselves. The mirrors we create must give us a balanced view of who we are as a people and account for the brilliance and shortcomings that make us human.
The Yoruba believe that Ile-Ife is the origin of their civilization. A century of historical and archaeological research has confirmed this. It also shows that the origin of the civilization is different from the origin of the deep-time Yoruba-speaking people. Those ultimate Yoruba ancestors (proto-Yoruboid) originated from the western part of the Niger-Benue Confluence in the present-day Okun-Yoruba area as early as 2,500 BC. This research has also given us insights into how Ile-Ife spearheaded a revolution about 1000 AD that gave birth to the present-day Yoruba cultural identity. The name, Ile-Ife, hints at how special this city was over the past 1,000 years.
Contrary to the oft-repeated folk etymology, Ile-Ife does not mean “House of Love.” Rather, it means “House of Abundance” and “House of Expansion.” The ancient city also has several aliases, such as “City of Daybreak,” City of Sunrise,” and “The Source.” These names and monikers illustrate the Yoruba belief that Ile-Ife is the ground zero of humanity. It is the place where the earth and humanity were created. The Yoruba ancestors knew that what makes us human is not biology. It is culture and consciousness. So, these labels refer to Ile-Ife as the birthplace of classical Yoruba civilization as we know it.
Historical records show that Ile-Ife occupies a special place in African history. When Ibn Battuta, the Berber-Moroccan traveler, visited the Mali Empire in 1352-53, he was told about Ile-Ife as one of the biggest kingdoms in Africa and its king (the Ọ̀ọ̀ni) as one of the greatest kings in the Land of the Black People (Sudan). Duarte Pereira Pacheco, the Portuguese explorer and soldier, was informed in the court of the King of Benin in 1475 that the King of Ile-Ife was the mighty lord of the region, and the explorer likened the status of the Ọ̀ọ̀ni (Oghoni/Owoni) among the Blacks as similar to that of the Pope among the Europeans. The people of Oyo (Old Oyo) told Richard Landers in 1830 that it was in Ile-Ife where their first parents were created and from where all Africa was peopled. The Yoruba people that Leo Frobenius (German scholar) met in Timbuktu (Mali) in 1909 told him that their forebears originated from Ile-Ife and turned into stones which are to be found in Ile-Ife.
The accomplishments of Ile-Ife in arts, science, technology, commerce, statecraft, religion, and philosophy are the reasons for this fame. Based on archaeological research that several scholars and I have done in Ile-Ife and other parts of Yorubaland, we now know that Ile-Ife is the oldest continuously occupied city in West Africa. Its leaders developed one of the oldest urban planning systems in West African history.
Ile-Ife was one of Africa’s most powerful economic engines during its heyday, 700 to 1000 years ago. The city was famous for glass, iron, and steel production, and its products were sold as far as Ghana and Mali Empires during the eleventh through fourteenth centuries. The material scientists of Ile-Ife invented a unique glass technology, and the city’s political leaders and merchants used this technology to create a glass-bead currency system that integrated the economy of many parts of West Africa, from Igbo-Ukwu in present-day Nigeria to Walata in Mauretania. This is a feat that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has yet to accomplish. Through its glass industry, Ile-Ife was a pacesetter in African history on the principle of technological independence. By 1200 AD, the political entrepreneurs of Ile-Ife had converted their vast networks of colonies, trading stations, and client states into the first empire in Yorubaland. It is also the first empire in all parts of Africa that lie south of the River Niger, from Lokoja (Nigeria) to Cape Town (South Africa).
Ancient Ile-Ife was also a centre of learning in all branches of science and arts, including philosophy, material chemistry, Ifa divination, and astronomy. This Yoruba city was a contemporary of other intellectual cities in the world, such as Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom and Timbuktu in present-day Mali. As a centre of education, research, knowledge, pilgrimage, and high art, Ile-Ife was a tourist center, attracting visitors across West Africa.
Unfortunately, the above stories are not taught in Nigerian schools, from nursery to the university. There is hardly a home in Nigeria that is aware of these accomplishments. Even some of our elders and traditional rulers who should know better often mislead us with wrong stories that cater to their ego rather than scientific, historical information. This lack of knowledge about our past is a symptom of our broken world. It is a world beset with little regard for knowledge and innovation and the discipline that goes with it. No respect for human dignity and life. I’m talking of a world where the gaps between political leadership and common people widen daily. In this broken world, there is a lack of confidence and appreciation for African indigenous culture and history, and the priority of the general population is the consumption of imported goods over locally produced goods.
We can’t blame the poorly educated and ill-informed citizens for thinking their ancestors accomplished nothing and that their salvation lies outside the shores of their country, in the hands of those who look different from them. This conference must energize us to re-educate the youth and the old so they can become conscious of the depth and richness of African history. With that consciousness, we will understand that Ile-Ife anticipated and accomplished many aspects of modernity that we often erroneously attribute to the Europeans. In ancient Ile-Ife, respect for human dignity, including people with disabilities, was promoted as the foundational ethos of civilization. In Ile-Ife, it was required that citizens must be educated and become knowledgeable in history, philosophy, arts, and crafts. The Ife ancestors also developed indirect democracy, a system that curtailed and, for the most part, prevented autocracy. They reminded us that you cannot have a true democracy where there is scarcity, hunger, and insecurity. To this end, the philosophers and economic planners of classical Ile-Ife developed an economic theory that was based on the principle of abundance. This is opposed to the principle of scarcity that drives Western economic theories today.
To begin to mend our broken world, our political leaders, educators, teachers, and university administrators must be deliberate and strategic in integrating the accomplishments of the Ife Empire into the history curriculum, noting that these accomplishments are the pride of all Africans, not the Yoruba people alone.
This conference is the beginning of a long conversation and action plan that must be put in place. It cannot achieve everything our royal father and conveners have outlined as the rationale for this three-day gathering. There is so much we still do not know about the history of Ile-Ife and the Yoruba. Therefore, we must continue searching and studying. To convert our talk into action that will yield long-lasting desired results, I urge Ọ̀ọ̀ni Ogunwusi to use his vast social networks and influence to coordinate the setting up of a 100 Billion Naira Global Endowment Fund for Yoruba Historical and Cultural Research. The priority is to use the fund to create a Center for the Advancement of Yoruba Studies that will coordinate such research endeavors, build a top-notch ultra-modern Museum and Library of Yoruba Civilization in Ile-Ife, and provide year-to-year research grants and fellowships for the study of Yoruba archaeology and history.
Every Oba in Yorubaland must also take up the challenge to work towards establishing a Museum of History and Culture in their respective towns and cities. They should rally their sons and daughters at home and abroad to fund and establish these museums. This proposition is not an assignment for the federal, state, or local government. It must be solely a community effort. When you visit any European town or village, they will take you first to their museums. Sometimes, a European town of 5,000 people will have ten museums that tell different aspects of the town’s history. Yoruba towns and cities have as deep a history as those European towns if we can learn to tell our stories with imagination and historical evidence. This is a task we must pursue. We owe it as a duty to our ancestors and the unborn generations. Thank you.
Akin Ogundiran is a Professor of History and Cardiss Collins Professor of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University (Evanston, USA), President-Elect of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists, and a Member of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He is the author of The Yoruba: A New History (2020).
BREAKING: Super Eagles draw Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau in AFCON 2024 Group
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn in Group A with hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
The draw ceremony took place in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, where the tournament is scheduled to be held from January 13 to February 11, 2024.
In the qualifiers, Nigeria finished top of its group with 15 points, scoring 22 goals, including a 16-0 win on aggregate against Sao Tome and Principe.
The Super Eagles were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the competition at the last edition in Cameroon after a 1-0 loss to Tunisia.
Nigeria last won the tournament in 2013 and will look to win its fourth after recording success at the 1980 and 1994 editions.
Just In: President Tinubu Appoints Ola Olukoyede as EFCC Chairman
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the appointment of Mr. Ola Olukoyede to serve as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.
This comes nearly four months after he suspended the erstwhile anti-graft agency chief, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa.
“Mr. Olukayode’s appointment follows the resignation of the suspended Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa,” a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, read on Thursday.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new EFCC. Chairman and Secretary of the Commission.’
Olukoyede is a lawyer with over 22 years of experience as a regulatory compliance consultant and specialist in fraud management and corporate intelligence.
He has extensive experience in the operations of the EFCC, having previously served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman (2016-2018) and Secretary to the Commission (2018-2023). As such, he fulfills the statutory requirement for appointment as Chairman of the EFCC.
Below are key things to know about the new EFCC boss:
Olukoyede was born in Ikere-Ekiti on October 14, 1969.
The new anti-graft agency chair is an indigene of Ekiti State.
He is an alumnus of Lagos State University; University of Lagos; Institute of Arbitration ICC – Paris, France and University of Harvard (Kennedy School of Executive Education).
He is an experienced lawyer specialised in compliance management, corporate intelligence, and fraud management.
Olukoyede has extensive experience in the operations of the EFCC, having previously served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman (2016-2018).
He is a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
In same vein President Tinubu also approved the appointment of Mr. Muhammad Hammajoda to serve as the Secretary of the EFCC for a renewable term of five years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.
Hammajoda is a public administrator with extensive experience in public finance management who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters in Business Administration from the same university.
He began his career as a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi. From there, he went into banking, including successful stints at the defunct Allied Bank and Standard Trust Bank.
The president tasked the new leadership of the commission to justify the confidence given to them in this important national assignment as a newly invigorated war on corruption undertaken through a reformed institutional architecture in the anti-corruption sector remains a central pillar of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda.
There is no Evidence Tinubu Forged Certificate – BBC Disinformation Team
There is no evidence that the diploma Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to the country’s electoral commission was forged, the BBC’s Global Disinformation Team has found.
Allegations that President Tinubu’s certificates were faked went viral on social media following the release by Chicago State University (CSU) of his academic records last week.
We have looked at some of the most widely circulated claims.
The release of the president’s academic documents is the culmination of a judicial case filed in August by one of his main rivals in February’s presidential election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Abubakar was hoping to have the victor disqualified after accusing him of falsifying the CSU diploma of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration awarded in 1979 that he submitted to the electoral authority (Inec).
To obtain evidence for his case in Nigeria, Mr Abubakar approached a US court in August, requesting it to compel CSU to release Mr Tinubu’s academic records through a process called discovery, where the parties exchange information including documents ahead of a trial.
Mr Tinubu’s lawyers opposed the discovery application, citing privacy concerns, but the US court decided it should proceed.
The documents requested by Mr Abubakar were:
A copy of any diploma issued by CSU in 1979
A copy of the diploma CSU gave to Mr Tinubu in 1979
Copies of diplomas with the same font, seal, signatures, and wording awarded to other students that are similar to what CSU awarded to Mr Tinubu in 1979
Documents from CSU that were certified by Jamar Orr, who was then a staff member of CSU, in the 12 months from 1 August 2022
In response to request one, CSU submitted seven diplomas covering different disciplines with the names of the students redacted. According to the university’s registrar, these diplomas had not been collected by the students.
In response to request two, CSU stated that it could not find the diploma they issued to Mr Tinubu in 1979, because they do not keep copies of diplomas already collected by students.
In response to request three, CSU stated that it produced for Mr Tinubu a replacement diploma dated 27 June 1979. It also released diplomas awarded to other students that bore similar font, seal, signatures and wordings as Mr Tinubu’s diplomas.
In response to request four, CSU submitted other academic documents initially attested to and released by Mr Orr.
In line with the judge’s ruling, Mr Abubakar’s lawyer Angela Liu last week questioned Caleb Westberg, CSU’s current registrar, in a deposition.
The BBC was given access to the deposition transcript by Mr Abubakar’s spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu.
Some social media users in Nigeria allege that the deposition and the diplomas released by CSU confirm that the diploma submitted to Inec by Mr Tinubu was forged. This claim was also repeated by one of Mr Abubakar’s lawyers, Kalu Kalu, at a press conference last week.
We found there was no evidence to support this claim.
The CSU released several diplomas issued between 1979 and 2003. We analysed all of them.
There are three different diplomas for Mr Tinubu that we refer to throughout our analysis:
The original one, from 1979, which he has said in the past was lost when he went into exile in the 1990s
The second one, that he submitted to Inec – supposedly a replacement diploma from CSU (it is similar to diplomas issued by CSU in the 1990s)
Additionally, CSU holds another replacement diploma for Mr Tinubu that they say is probably from the early 2000s that he never collected
The allegations on social media are based on a comparison between the document Mr Tinubu submitted to Inec and the 1979 diplomas released by CSU.
During Mr Westberg’s deposition, Mr Atiku’s lawyer focused on the copy of the diploma President Tinubu handed to the electoral commission and suggested that it was unlike any of the diplomas released by CSU.
However, while Mr Westberg agreed with Ms Liu that the diploma in question does not look like the samples from 1979, he stated that the certificate actually looks like three of the diplomas CSU released to Mr Abubakar. Our analysis confirms this.
It turns out that the discrepancy in the appearance of the diploma is down to it having been re-issued in the 1990s.
Mr Westberg said the template of CSU’s diploma has changed several times over the years. He said any request for a new diploma would resemble the current template at that time, no matter when the student graduated.
As such, if Mr Tinubu had reordered his diploma in the late 1990s, what he would have been given would look like what was obtainable then.
Three of the diplomas dating from the 1990s that CSU submitted were similar to Mr Tinubu’s.
One of them, which bears the date 18 December 1998, is identical (aside from the names, class of degree, and dates) to the diploma Mr Tinubu handed over to Inec.
Mr Westberg also stated that CSU does not keep notes of when a graduate asks for the reissuing of a diploma and therefore Mr Tinubu’s request for a copy of the diploma was not recorded.
The copy he gave to the election commission had part of the university logo missing, which Mr Westberg said in his deposition was possibly “cut off” when it was photocopied.
We analysed the diploma. It appears in fact that its bottom part was not included during the photocopy process.
The BBC reached out to Mr Tinubu’s team to get a copy of the diploma in question. They sent what they said was the only existing copy of the diploma. It is a black and white photocopy identical to what was submitted to Inec.
Another claim, made by a fact-checking organisation in Nigeria, was that the diploma Mr Tinubu submitted was not from CSU as its diplomas do not include the phrase “with honors” under the degree name.
But the BBC found that while this was not reflected in the other diplomas released by CSU, it does appears in Mr Tinubu’s diploma issued in the early 2000s, which was authenticated by Mr Westberg during his deposition.
It has the words “with honors” – a match with the diploma with the same detail submitted by the president to Inec.
Mr Westberg said that the school could authenticate this particular diploma because it was still in its possession as it was never picked up.
Not every student graduates from university with honours. Mr Tinubu, as attested to by CSU in several court documents seen by the BBC, did graduate from CSU with honours.
The BBC contacted CSU with questions about its diplomas and it referred us to a statement that read in part: “We are confident and always have been in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s attendance and completion of graduation requirements”.
Another allegation making the rounds on social media is that the person who attended CSU with the name Bola A Tinubu is female.
Mr Tinubu attended Southwest College (now known as Richard J. Daley College) before transferring to CSU in 1976. In Southwest’s transcript, there is an “F” (for “female”) in the column where gender is indicated, leading to claims that it was a woman who attended the school and Mr Tinubu “stole her identity”. Mr Atiku’s lawyer, Mr Kalu, alluded to this in a press conference last week.
However, in his deposition, Mr Westberg stressed that there was no confusion about the gender of the person who attended CSU as he was a male named Bola A Tinubu. He said the university used other factors other than the name to authenticate the student’s identity.
According to him, the Social Security Number (SSN) in the transcript from Southwest College matches what it has in other documents in which the student’s gender is clearly marked as male.
However, the released documents did raise questions about Mr Tinubu’s birth date and the secondary school he attended.
One of the documents stated that Mr Tinubu attended Government College Lagos in 1970. However, information available on the school website stated that it was only founded in 1974.
Aside from the gender discrepancy, the birth dates in some of the released documents differ from the official birth date of President Tinubu, which is 29 March 1952.
His transcript from CSU has his date of birth as 29 March 1954. His undergraduate admissions application form has his date of birth as 29 March 1955.
Mr Atiku’s lawyer said during Mr Westberg’s deposition that on the forms submitted to Inec, Mr Tinubu had given his date of birth as 29 March 1952.
Mr Westberg, during cross-examination, responded that the discrepancies could have been due to human error.
We contacted Mr Tinubu’s team for comment about these discrepancies and a spokesperson directed us instead to his party – the All Progressives Congress. We then contacted Mr Tinubu’s presidential campaign spokesperson Festus Keyamo, who is also a minister in the government. He did not take our calls or respond to our text and WhatsApp messages.
We also sent questions to Mr Abubakar’s team. They did not respond.
With Joy, Oshodi-Isolo Chairman, Otunba Kehinde Almoroof Oloyede Congratulate MC Oluomo on New Appointment
Following the news that, the leadership and members of National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) have unanimously appointed Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya as the Acting chairman of Zone 2 of the union, friends, family, political stalwarts and allies rejoice, commends his doggedness and tenacity.
Speaking after the announcement was the chairman Oshodi-Isolo local government Chairman, Otunba Kehinde Almoroof Oloyede, he described the talisman as an industrious goal getter with foresight.
In his words, he said “MC Oluomo can be described as a round peg in a right hole. He is a team player who understands the terrain like the back of his hand. I want to seize this opportunity to congratulate him and wish him well in his new position.”
He also note that he was so excited with the new development after the crisis the union experienced saying “I am super excited on his new appointment. This is an appointment well deserved. He should go on and make huge impact, I wish him wisdom, brilliant ideas, and all resources that he needed to succeed in the new responsibility.” He concluded
The union however during the conference held in Ikirun, Osogbo, Osun state where the leaders agreed that Musiliu Akinsanya fondly called MC Oluomo should take over the mantle of leadership of the zone in Acting capacity pending the time an election will be conducted pleaded with Governor Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Governor Seyi Makinde (Oyo) to reinstate the activities of NURTW in their states which will afford them the opportunity to nominate candidates for the national president of the union zoned to southwest.
