The BBC’s report on the allegations of forged academic documents submitted by Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seems comprehensive, but is it?
BBC is a known and probably a respected media house, and throwing their weight on this controversy has the effect of tipping the balance if favour one party.
As an independent thinker and professional in my own right, I have chosen to wade into the discussion, not from political viewpoint, but purely as a lawyer.
I have looked at the analysis which was credited to the “BBC Disinformation Team”. On the first look, it certainly appeared comprehensive. However, it leaves room for some critical appraisal, a few of which I have briefly discussed below.
While the report concludes that there is no evidence of forgery, it’s essential to critically analyse the available information and consider the broader context, which the BBC have tried to obscure.
Lack of Evidence Doesn’t Prove Authenticity:
The report states that there is no evidence of forgery regarding President Tinubu’s academic documents. However, the absence of evidence of forgery does not necessarily prove the authenticity of the documents.
It’s crucial to emphasize that the burden of proof should be on the person submitting the documents. President Tinubu has not provided substantial evidence of how he legally obtained the academic certificate.
It would beat the imagination of any objective and right-thinking person why the BBC did not mention this part of the discussion in their analysis.
The fact that there is no evidence of forgery does not mean the diploma is authentic because even the school did not own it as their own. President Bola Tinubu also did not adduce any evidence of how he legally obtained the certificate.
His silence on this speaks volume. The fact that he even opposed the release of the certificate from the CSU is a conclusive prove that he is hiding something that has not been fully exposed.
The Questionable Diplomas:
The BBC report mentions that the Chicago State University (CSU) provided several different diplomas issued between 1979 and 2003. This discrepancy raises questions about the authenticity of President Tinubu’s diploma.
The fact that there were multiple versions of the diploma makes it challenging to establish its legitimacy definitively. This further raises the bar on proving the authenticity of the certificate that President Tinubu submitted to INEC.
The multiplicity of certificates with different shapes and forms cannot be taking to mean that they are all as genuine as they come. This should rather create doubt, which can only be resolved if and when the source of each certificate is satisfactorily proven.
This, President Bola have not only failed to do, but has fought gallantly to ensure that the source through which he obtained his own certificate is not traced. Why?
Silence on Very Simple Matter:
Similar to the above is the glaring failure of the BBC to request details from the president’s team about their silence on what should ordinarily be a very simple matter.
Why continue to use a photocopy years after he claimed to have lost the original certificate that he obtained in 1979? Why did he apply for a new original certificate and then abandon it with CSU?
President Tinubu has not adequately addressed how he obtained the academic certificate. His silence on this matter raises concerns. His opposition to the release of the diploma from CSU adds to suspicions that there may be undisclosed information.
Lack of Independent Verification:
The report mentions discrepancies in President Tinubu’s birth date and the secondary school he claimed to have attended. There is also the discrepancy in the names and sex of the individual called Bola Ahmed/Adekunle Tinubu.
The CSU registrar made personal effort to provide explanations to these discrepancies under deposition. However, these explanations were no more than hearsay from the CSU representative, Caleb Westberg.
While these discrepancies are attributed to potential human errors, there is no independent verification of these details. It’s essential to independently verify the accuracy of the information provided.
Privacy Concerns and Transparency:
The report mentions that President Tinubu’s lawyers opposed the release of his academic records, citing privacy concerns. This raises questions about transparency in a matter of public interest.
When seeking a public office, especially the presidency, transparency and the authenticity of academic credentials are vital. This is a given and does not require any argument, nor much attention.
What should not be ignore is the very fact that what President Tinubu’s lawyers were fighting against are issues that should not have even arisen at all.
There would have been any legal battle to fight, if the president has voluntarily released the original of his diploma from the CSU long before it became a subject of litigation.
In conclusion, while the BBC report suggests no evidence of forgery, it’s essential to critically evaluate the available information and consider the context. The report was titled “Bola Tinubu diploma: No evidence Nigeria’s president forged college record”.
This title no doubt, gives a very misleading impression about the issue. The fact that the report was credited to “BBC Disinformation Team” apparently gives it some form of credibility, further cementing that misleading impression.
A better titled would have been – “Bola Tinubu diploma: The allegation that Nigeria’s president forged college record has not been cleared from available evidence.”
President Tinubu’s silence, the multiple diploma versions, and the lack of independent verification raise legitimate concerns. It is crucial for individuals seeking public office to provide clear, verifiable evidence of their qualifications to maintain trust and transparency.
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