By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Bola Tinubu |
Amid lingering questions over his academic records, President Bola Tinubu surprised attendees at the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme launch in Abuja by introducing a former classmate from Chicago State University (CSU).
The Belarusian businessman, identified only as Alex, was acknowledged by Tinubu as his longtime friend and neighbor during their studies in Chicago.
"Alex was my very good neighbor and schoolmate back then. Never did we imagine I’d become Nigeria’s president while he’d grow into a successful entrepreneur," Tinubu remarked, prompting applause as Alex stood for recognition.
The introduction comes years after Tinubu faced allegations of certificate discrepancies from his time at CSU. Opposition leader Atiku Abubakar of the PDP had sought a U.S. court order to obtain Tinubu’s academic records, citing inconsistencies including records suggesting a female student named Bola Tinubu was enrolled in the 1970s.
Tinubu’s legal team pushed back, filing motions to block the release and attributing irregularities to a CSU clerk. Despite the uproar, Nigeria’s Supreme Court upheld his election victory, though public debate persists.