Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has said President Bola Tinubu graduated with a first-class degree in accounting from Chicago State University (CSU), United States.
Alausa made the claim on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the educational record of the Tinubu administration and the controversy surrounding the president’s academic qualifications.
The minister said he lived and worked in the United States for nearly 30 years and was familiar with Chicago State University, which he claimed to have visited several times.
According to him, he also met several of Tinubu’s former classmates in person.
“I know the university, Chicago State University. Forget the nonsense the opposition is peddling. I am giving you hard facts. I lived in Chicago for almost 30 years. I have been to that university so many times,” Alausa said.
When asked whether he had met people who studied alongside Tinubu, the minister responded: “Oh, many in person.”
He also described the president as a genius and praised his leadership, arguing that Tinubu had helped move Nigeria towards economic growth.
Alausa’s comments come amid renewed political debate over Tinubu’s academic history and the information contained in his election documents.
In the personal particulars submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu listed a Bachelor of Science degree obtained in 1979 but did not state that he graduated with first-class honours.
His academic records identify his qualification as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in accounting and management.
The president’s Chicago State University certificate became a major subject of controversy ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Questions were raised over his identity and academic records, prompting Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party at the time, to approach a United States court in August 2023 for access to Tinubu’s academic records.
Tinubu opposed the application.
In October 2023, Chicago State University confirmed that the Nigerian president attended the institution and graduated in 1979.
The university also expressed confidence in its records concerning Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and the degree certificate issued to him.
However, in a statement to CBS, the university said federal privacy laws prevented it from releasing further information about the president without his consent or a court order.
In September 2023, public affairs analyst Durojaiye Ogunsanya also identified himself as Tinubu’s former classmate, saying they studied accounting and business administration at the university and graduated in 1979.
