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A PDP chieftain, Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, has accused President Bola Tinubu of lying about the schools he attended, alleging that Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa, is misleading Nigerians by defending the President’s academic records.
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Pearse made the allegations during an interview on News Central Television on Sunday, November 8, 2026, claiming that he directed the programme Tinubu reportedly attended and insisting that the President never studied at the institution.
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The controversy revives the 2023 legal battle involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who obtained Tinubu’s academic records from the university through a United States court order.
November 09, (THEWILL) – A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, has accused President Bola Tinubu of lying about the schools he attended, alleging that the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, is covering for the President by misleading Nigerians about his academic records.
Pearse, who claimed to have lectured at the Chicago State University, made the allegations during an interview on News Central Television’s Breakfast Central programme on Sunday, November 8.
He challenged Alausa’s recent defence of Tinubu’s educational qualifications and insisted that the President never attended the American university.
Pearse, who stated he lectured at the University between 1985 and 1990, maintained that he was familiar with the academic programme Tinubu claimed to have attended.
When reminded that the Education Minister had confirmed Tinubu’s attendance at the institution, Pearse dismissed the minister’s position, arguing that Alausa was acting in the President’s interest.
“The Education Minister works for the President. The Education Minister is lying, just as the President himself is a bona fide professional liar,” he said.
Pearse also challenged the educational institutions listed in Tinubu’s records submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the President presented the names of schools he never attended.
“Look at the records he has been submitting to INEC. He never said he was homeschooled. He gave names of schools which he never attended. This man is a professional crook,” he said.
The former lecturer further claimed that he was the director of the programme Tinubu reportedly attended at Chicago State University, insisting that his position gave him knowledge of the institution’s academic activities.
“I was the director of the program in which Tinubu said he attended,” he said.
Pearse also recalled that in 1999, when individuals were seeking information about Tinubu’s academic records on behalf of the late Funsho Williams, they were directed to him.
According to him, he had the information sought by those who approached him but advised them against making Tinubu’s educational background the centrepiece of their political campaign.
“If he is a genius, he is a genius at rigging elections,” Pearse added.
Alausa Defends Tinubu’s Academic Records
The latest accusations followed comments by Alausa during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in which he defended Tinubu’s academic qualifications.
The minister insisted that Tinubu attended Chicago State University and graduated with a first-class degree in Accounting.
Alausa said he was familiar with the institution, having lived in Chicago for almost 30 years, and claimed to have visited the university several times. He also said he had personally met several people who studied alongside the President.
“I know the university — Chicago State University. Forget the nonsense the opposition is peddling. I’m telling you hardcore facts,” he said.
Asked whether he had met Tinubu’s former classmates, the minister responded, “Oh, many, many, many in person!”
He also described the President as a genius, insisting that there was no basis for questioning his academic ability.
The minister’s comments have drawn renewed attention to the controversy, particularly as the university’s previously released records and the testimony of its registrar during the 2023 United States proceedings remain part of the public record.
What Chicago State University Records Reveal
Tinubu’s educational qualifications have been the subject of public controversy for several years, particularly over his attendance at Chicago State University, the degree he obtained, and the certificate submitted to INEC.
In January 2022, Chicago State University confirmed that Tinubu attended the institution between August 1977 and June 1979 and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with honours. His major was Accounting.
The university subsequently reiterated its position in an official statement issued in October 2023, confirming that Tinubu had attended the institution and graduated in 1979.
However, questions surrounding the particular diploma submitted by Tinubu to INEC became a major issue during legal proceedings initiated by Atiku Abubakar in the United States.
Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the PDP, approached a federal court in Illinois seeking an order compelling Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records.
The former Vice-President sought the documents to support his challenge to Tinubu’s election, alleging that the President submitted a forged Chicago State University diploma to INEC.
Tinubu opposed the disclosure of the records but was subsequently unsuccessful in stopping the university from complying with the court’s order.
On September 30, 2023, United States District Judge Nancy Maldonado ordered Chicago State University to release the requested records and make an official available for questioning.
The court, however, expressly stated that its decision to grant Atiku access to the documents did not constitute a determination of the merits of his allegations against Tinubu or the validity of the Nigerian election.
The university released the records and made its then Registrar, Caleb Westberg, available for a deposition on October 3, 2023.
During the deposition, Westberg confirmed that Tinubu’s university records showed that he attended the institution from 1977 to 1979 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
However, questions were raised about the particular diploma Tinubu submitted to INEC.
Westberg testified that the university could not locate the original 1979 diploma in Tinubu’s student file. He also explained that the diploma presented to INEC, bearing a June 27, 1979 date, did not correspond with the diploma format issued by the university in 1979.
The registrar’s testimony indicated that the document was not part of Tinubu’s student file and that the university had issued replacement diplomas in later years.
The proceedings therefore brought two distinct issues into focus: the university’s confirmation that Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution, and questions about the provenance and appearance of the particular diploma submitted to INEC.
Chicago State University maintained that its records confirmed Tinubu’s attendance and completion of graduation requirements.
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Supreme Court Dismisses Atiku’s Challenge
The Chicago State University controversy also featured in the legal challenges that followed the 2023 presidential election.
After obtaining the university records in the United States, Atiku sought to introduce additional evidence before the Supreme Court in support of his allegation that Tinubu submitted a forged academic certificate to INEC.
However, the Supreme Court, in its judgment delivered on October 26, 2023, dismissed the appeals challenging Tinubu’s election victory.
The seven-member panel declined to admit the additional evidence concerning the alleged certificate forgery, holding that the issue had not been raised as a ground in the original election petition within the constitutionally prescribed period.
The court maintained that evidence relating to matters not pleaded in the original petition could not be introduced at that stage to determine the dispute.
The Supreme Court consequently upheld Tinubu’s election victory and dismissed the challenges brought by Atiku and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The decision ended the 2023 presidential election litigation but did not amount to a separate judicial determination of every question raised during the United States proceedings concerning the diploma submitted to INEC.
Controversy Resurfaces Ahead of 2027 Elections
The latest allegations by Pearse and Doherty have brought renewed attention to Tinubu’s educational background as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Both former lecturers have maintained that Tinubu never attended Chicago State University and have questioned the schools listed in his educational records submitted to INEC.
Their claims, however, conflict with the university’s official confirmation that Tinubu attended the institution between 1977 and 1979 and graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
There is also a difference between the period the two former lecturers said they worked at the institution, 1985 to 1990, and the university’s recorded period of Tinubu’s attendance, which ended in 1979.
Pearse and Doherty have nevertheless maintained that they directed the programme Tinubu reportedly attended and have claimed to possess knowledge of his academic history.
The Presidency and the Education Ministry had yet to issue a specific response to the latest allegations by the two former lecturers at the time of filing this report.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
