2023: Tinubu breaks silence on controversies trailing his birth, academic, work records at Chatham House

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu on Monday insisted that his birth, academic, and professional records are consistent, adding that his critics are only wasting their time and money.

Tinubu, 70, stated this during an appearance at Chatham House in London, the United Kingdom. He spoke on the topic: ‘Nigeria’s 2023 Elections: Security & Economic Development and Its Foreign Policy Imperatives’.

NewsClick Nigeria reports that there has been controversy over the early days of the former governor of Lagos State but Tinubu said his detractors can request a DNA test to validate that he is indeed a scion of the Tinubu family.

Asked to clear the air on some of the issues surrounding his formative years, Tinubu said the question is “inquisitive but at the time of birth, I was dated March 29, 1952”.

“I’ve had a very good exposure in life, my record is consistent in the school, in the university, they (critics) are now convinced that they wasted their money and their time. The record is there, the transcript is there showing March 1952,” he said.

Tinubu insisted that he remains a proper member of the Tinubu family, slamming an unnamed presidential candidate accused of not being a Nigeria.

“I’m not claiming another father, I am Tinubu and Tinubu proper. If they want a DNA, they could as well request from us. One of them has even been accused of not being a Nigerian citizen, I didn’t touch that area.

“Equally, it remains the same, Deloitte, Chicago State University where I graduated from has attested to that. Now, I can announce that I have received my original replacement degree certificate from them,” he explained.

The APC presidential candidate said none of his contenders can match his professional records which he described as “outstanding”.

“Deloitte trained me as an accountant. Mobil Oil has attested to my record, outstanding record, I got to the pinnacle of my career in the private sector. Who among them can brag about that?” he queried.

The former Lagos governor was at the world-leading policy institute and think-tank alongside the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and his Jigawa State counterparty, Abubakar Badaru; former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; amongst others.