Chicago State University has locked its X microblogging handle from the general public as Nigerians intensify pressure on President Bola Tinubu’s controversial certificate from the institution.

With a padlock icon appearing on the account, a check by Peoples Gazette on Monday showed that only “confirmed followers” of the institution could see its tweets now, contrary to how it was before.

A notification telling the general public that the institution had locked its X handle from the general public reads: “These posts are protected. Only confirmed followers have access to @ChicagoState’s posts and complete profile. Tap the ‘Follow’ button to send a follow request.”

The Gazette could not verify why the institution allowed only its confirmed followers access to its timeline while restricting the general public from its content.

Chicago State University has yet to respond to the Gazette’s request seeking comments on the development, coming amid heated debates among Nigerian cybernauts on Mr Tinubu’s academic records, with many calling out the institution on X.

Earlier in August, Mr Abubakar requested court approval to subpoena Mr Tinubu’s files domiciled with CSU because he believed the documents would clarify glaring inconsistencies in the president’s background, including publicly available documents that suggested the institution, in the 1970s admitted a female student bearing Bola Tinubu born on March 29, 1954.

In pushback against Mr Abubakar’s legal move, which could expose his academic record, Mr Tinubu also filed a motion to prevent a federal court in the United States from releasing his academic records to his principal opponent in the 2023 presidential election.

The institution had claimed that a clerk was responsible for irregularities that characterised a certificate the school reprinted in Mr Tinubu’s name, according to court filings seen by The Gazette.

Amid the legal tussle in the U.S., Mr Abubakar on Sunday mocked Mr Tinubu, asking him to reveal how he obtained a degree from Chicago University without attending primary and secondary school.

Mr Atiku’s tweet sparked widespread reactions seeing the “AskTinubu” trend of X microblogging app on Sunday as Nigerians discuss Mr Tinubu’s academic records.