A former lecturer at Chicago State University, Dr Pearse Adetokumbo, has reignited controversy surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic records, alleging that the Nigerian leader never attended the institution as claimed.
Adetokumbo, who made the allegations during an interview on News Central TV, said he worked at Chicago State University between 1985 and 1990 and was the director of the programme Tinubu allegedly claimed to have attended.
He also accused the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, of misleading Nigerians while defending the president’s academic qualifications. According to him, documents Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contained the names of schools he allegedly never attended.
Speaking during the interview, Adetokumbo said, “Well, I know that he didn’t even attend Chicago State University. The education minister works for the president. The education minister is lying.”
The former lecturer further questioned Tinubu’s educational background, raising concerns about his real name and the schools he reportedly attended.
“Do you know his real name? That [Tinubu] is not his name. Do you know the school he attended? Primary school? No. Secondary school? No,” he said.
He went on to describe the president as a professional crook, accusing him of repeatedly submitting questionable academic information to INEC throughout his political career.
Adetokumbo also explained that his knowledge of the matter dated back several years, claiming that he provided information about Tinubu’s alleged academic records to individuals who contacted him in 1999.
“I used to be a lecturer at Chicago State University. For five years. I was the director of the programme that Tinubu said he attended at Chicago State University. I was at Chicago State University from 1985 to 1990,” he stated.
He further insisted that the president was aware of his position on the controversy, adding, “I know that he never attended Chicago State University, and he knows that I know.”
Taking his criticism further, Adetokumbo suggested that the controversy could have serious legal consequences, even mentioning the possibility of Tinubu and another individual facing trial before an international criminal court.
Turning his attention to the 2027 general election, the former lecturer expressed doubts about Tinubu’s chances of securing another term, declaring that there was no way the president could win the election.
He also launched a scathing assessment of the Tinubu administration, accusing it of worsening the country’s economic and security challenges.
According to him, poverty, unemployment and insecurity have continued to rise under the current government, while Nigerians are increasingly struggling with the consequences of the administration’s policies.
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