Chicago University Certificate Saga: Tinubu’s foreign affairs minister reacts

Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar has played down talks that the presidency and the entire administration are bothered about the controversy about the academic records of President Bola Tinubu from the Chicago State University (CSU).

Tuggar made this known on Wednesday, October 4, during an interview on the Channels TV breakfast show Sunrise Daily.

He stated that the administration cannot waste time on such “trivial matters” while noting that the controversy has no blemish on some of Tinubu's international voyages.

According to Channels TV online, Tuggar said: “There is a tendency to always try to distract people on such frivolous issues as opposed to facing the major issues of development. We don’t have time to waste on that.

“Nobody is wasting time about certificate qualification for somebody who has been a governor of a state, served two terms, and has been on the national stage as a politician."

Tinubu, Buhari comparison

He likened Tinubu's certificate controversy to ex-President Muhammadu, who was questioned about his secondary school certificate.

Tuggar said: “You remember that (former) President Buhari had to go through the same thing, where people were actually questioning whether he went to secondary school or not. Someone who had classmates and was the captain? He was a head boy."

He urged Nigerians not to be swayed by the distractions of certificates; instead, they should focus on the real issues and work towards sustainable development for the country.