Allegations Against Tinubu’s Certificates Must Be Proven in Court – Ex-APC National Legal Adviser, Ogala
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Legal Adviser, Babatunde Ogala, has maintained that allegations questioning President Bola Tinubu’s educational credentials must be established before a court of law rather than debated on television.
Ogala stated this on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he responded to claims by lawyer and African Democratic Congress (ADC) member, Kalu Kalu, who alleged that President Tinubu submitted forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This comes days after INEC released copies of President Tinubu’s credentials, in which the sections for his primary and secondary education were left blank.
According to Ogala, the issue of Tinubu’s qualification to contest for the presidency has already been determined by the courts.
“Between 1999 and 2003, there had been several litigations on this matter, and the courts have ruled. The courts, I say again, have ruled,” he said.
He also disclosed that Kalu had filed another suit on the same issue, stressing that it would be inappropriate for him to discuss the substance of a matter that is currently pending before a Federal High Court in Kano.
“As we speak today, Kalu has filed another action in a Federal High Court in Kano on this same issue. We have joined issues with him, so it will not be proper for me, as counsel, to discuss what is before the court,” Ogala stated.
The senior lawyer accused Kalu of repeatedly instituting legal actions over Tinubu’s qualifications, noting that previous suits had been unsuccessful.
“Before now, in 2022, this same Mr. Kalu filed five actions on this same issue. All five matters were dismissed. One went as far as the Court of Appeal, and it was also dismissed,” he recalled.
Ogala argued that under the Nigerian Constitution, the relevant legal question is whether a presidential candidate possesses the minimum educational qualification prescribed by law.
“What the Constitution requires is that a person must be educated up to School Certificate level. The issues that are legally relevant have been settled,” he asserted.
He equally faulted Kalu’s repeated assertions that Tinubu forged documents, stressing that only a competent court could make such a finding.
“You are not a court. You are not an investigator. You are not a forensic expert. You cannot make such pronouncements. At best, they are allegations and speculations until a court determines otherwise,” Ogala argued.
Responding to questions about the President’s educational history, Ogala declined to list the institutions Tinubu attended, insisting that such matters were outside the legal issues before him.
He maintained that anyone dissatisfied with the President’s declarations to INEC was free to challenge them through the judicial process.
On his part, Kalu insisted that the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s educational records remains unresolved, alleging that the President submitted forged documents to INEC in both 1999 and 2022.
“The issue is very simple. Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution provides that a person is not qualified to contest for the office of President if he has presented a forged certificate to INEC,” Kalu said.
He argued that Tinubu should publicly produce his primary and secondary school certificates to put the controversy to rest.
“Let him come out and tell Nigerians, ‘This is my primary school certificate. This is my secondary school certificate.’ We can then put this issue to rest once and for all,” he remarked.
Kalu further criticised Ogala for failing to directly answer questions regarding the President’s educational background, insisting that the allegations should not be dismissed as frivolous.
In response, Ogala reiterated that the Supreme Court and other courts had upheld Tinubu’s qualification to contest the presidency and urged Kalu to pursue his claims in court instead of making categorical allegations on television.
“Go ahead and prove these allegations in court, not on television. You have a case pending in Kano; let the Federal High Court determine it,” Ogala added.
