Governor Hope Uzodimma has blamed INEC’s non-functional server and poor public record keeping for the controversy surrounding the educational certificates of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Speaking to journalists at the State House after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, Mr Uzodimma said there should be no controversy on Mr Tinubu’s certificate where public recording keeping was efficient and INEC server functional.  

“All the things so mentioned are entire party challenges that will be resolved. But for my presidential candidate, (Bola Tinubu) the issue of certificates shouldn’t even arise.

“In 1999, he contested elections and became the governor of Lagos. In 2003, he contested election for a second term and became governor of Lagos. 

“He ran and won as a senator in the country. Were record keeping efficient, and INEC server functional, he (Tinubu) wouldn’t need to do fresh submission (of documents).

“However, if whatever he is supposed to submit is not handy, it is not late yet. I’m sure before the time he will submit whatever is required of him,” Mr Uzodimma said. 

Mr Tinubu, in an affidavit submitted to the electoral body as part of his eligibility filings for the 2023 presidential elections, disclosed to the Independent National Electoral Commission that he did not attend primary and secondary schools. 

The documents reported by Peoples Gazette revealed two blank spaces when asked what establishments provided Mr Tinubu with his primary and secondary education. He, however, noted his degree in business and administration in 1979 from the Chicago State University.

The former Lagos governor claimed he was on self-exile from October 1994 to October 1998 and that his credentials had been stolen from his home before he returned. 

“When I returned I discovered that all my property, including all the documents relating to my qualifications and my certificates in respect of paragraph three above, were looted by unknown persons,” Mr Tinubu said in the filings.

The current claims made by the APC chieftain are at odds with previous declarations made by him. In 1999 and 2003, when Mr Tinubu ran for office as a governorship candidate in Lagos, he claimed both times that he attended primary and secondary schools. 

He said he attended St Paul Children’s Home School, Ibadan, between 1958 to 1964; while his secondary education was at Government College, Ibadan, between 1965 to 1968. From Ibadan, Mr Tinubu said he went to Richard Daley College, Chicago, from 1969 to 1971.