In a surprising turn of events, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced its intention to disclose approximately 2,500 documents related to President Bola Tinubu. This disclosure, scheduled to begin in October, will involve a monthly release of 500 pages of documents, as revealed in a recent court filing obtained by The Gazette.
The FBI’s decision comes after initial resistance to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed in 2022 by Aaron Greenspan, in collaboration with journalist David Hundeyin, who operates PlainSite, a website advocating for anti-corruption and transparency in public service. The Gazette has closely followed this application, offering support to ensure its success after the FBI’s initial reluctance.
These documents are expected to shed light on critical aspects of President Tinubu’s background, including his entry into the United States, the name under which he entered, and his activities since then. President Tinubu’s extended stay in the U.S., dating back to the 1970s, will also be clarified. Additionally, records related to his forfeiture of $460,000 due to drug-related activities in Chicago during the 1990s will be among those released.
For many Nigerians, President Tinubu’s background has been shrouded in mystery, with unanswered questions about his parentage and childhood education. Alongside the FBI, several other U.S. agencies, including the State Department, Internal Revenue Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Central Intelligence Agency, have indicated their readiness to provide thousands of pages of records related to Bola Tinubu.
Starting in October, the State Department will begin releasing 450 pages every six weeks from its Tinubu-related archive. These developments coincide with increased scrutiny of President Tinubu’s claims about his admission to Chicago State University (CSU). His opponent in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has filed a lawsuit challenging these claims.
Previously, The Gazette reported that President Tinubu gained admission to study business administration at CSU based on his 1970 O’Level results in high school science subjects. However, recent CSU records indicated that a female Bola Tinubu attended the university and pursued the same course as the Nigerian leader. This discrepancy has fueled suspicions of a cover-up.
The upcoming legal proceedings, scheduled for September 12, will hear arguments from the lawyers of President Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and CSU to determine the scope of the subpoena for Mr. Tinubu’s academic records. Mr. Abubakar hopes to present evidence that could potentially nullify President Tinubu’s election victory by revealing the name, date of birth, and gender under which Bola Tinubu secured admission and graduated from CSU.
This disclosure by the FBI and the ongoing legal battle add a new layer of complexity to the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
Credit: Peoples Gazette
