The presidency has dismissed claims by Professor Adetokunbo Pearse that President Bola Tinubu did not attend or graduate from Chicago State University (CSU), describing the assertions as factually flawed.
Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Social Media, said Pearse is not qualified to speak on Tinubu’s academic records.
Pearse has a PhD in Linguistics and taught English and Literature.
Olusegun argued that this does not qualify him to supervise an Accounting and Business Administration programme.
Three Loopholes
Olusegun said Pearse taught at CSU from 1985 to 1990.
Tinubu had already graduated and left the institution in 1979, six years before Pearse set foot on campus.
“The Prof has a PhD in Linguistics and taught English/Literature. How does that qualify him to direct or supervise an Accounting and Business Administration program?” Olusegun wrote on X.
He also argued that teaching at a university for five years does not give anyone access to the entire student database.
“Teaching at a university for 5 years does not give you access to its entire student database. Records belong to the institution, and verification must go through Chicago State University itself,” he said.
On claims that Tinubu might be imprisoned if convicted, Olusegun said Pearse does not understand the jurisdiction of the court he is invoking.
“The ICC does not try certificate controversies. Before predicting jail terms, at least understand the basic jurisdiction of the court you are invoking,” he said.
Pearse had said in an earlier interview that the documents Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contained names of schools he never attended.
He said he worked at CSU between 1985 and 1990 and was director of the programme Tinubu allegedly attended.
He maintained that he had personal knowledge of the president’s academic records.
Omokri Cites Documentary Evidence
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, Reno Omokri, insisted that Tinubu graduated from CSU in 1979.
He cited documentary evidence, the testimony of the institution’s registrar, and a Supreme Court judgement.
Omokri said he personally visited Chicago State University on September 19, 2022, where he confirmed that Tinubu was admitted to, attended, and graduated from the institution.
He said the university provided him with a document confirming the president’s academic records.
He also recalled that on October 3, 2023, the university’s Registrar, Caleb Westberg, testified under oath before a court that Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution in 1979.
According to Omokri, the BBC Global Disinformation Team subsequently corroborated the findings in a report published on October 11, 2023.
Omokri further referenced the Supreme Court judgement of October 26, 2023, stating that the apex court dismissed allegations questioning Tinubu’s graduation as lacking merit.
“Go and Verify”
Omokri described renewed questions about the president’s academic qualifications as politically motivated.
“This is campaign season. So, of course, you can expect that a TV station linked in ownership to a vice-presidential candidate of an opposition party would resurrect this malicious, fallacious and disproven propaganda,” he said.
He challenged journalists, politicians, and other Nigerians still questioning Tinubu’s credentials to independently contact Chicago State University or visit the institution to verify the records.
“If, after the overwhelming evidence above, there are still journalists or even politicians who still, regrettably, doubt the mountain of evidence proving the President’s bona fides, then they should do what I did and physically go to Chicago State University or electronically contact them via the contact details in the attached document to hear directly from the horse’s mouth,” he said.
