President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s offhand remark on Monday that controversial Belarusian businessman Alex Zingman was his classmate at Chicago State University (CSU) has reignited long-standing scrutiny over the President’s academic records — and may have deepened the mystery instead of dispelling it.
The comment came during the launch of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja, where Tinubu, in what seemed a casual or lighthearted moment, introduced Zingman as a university peer.
But instead of drawing applause, the claim quickly lit up social media and investigative circles, raising troubling questions about its plausibility.
According to multiple public records, Zingman was born in 1966, making him only 13 years old in 1979 — the year President Tinubu claims he graduated from CSU.
That timeline casts serious doubt on the possibility that both men shared a classroom.
“Are Nigerians to believe that a Belarusian child prodigy graduated from a U.S. university at 13 alongside Tinubu?” asked Prof. Ifeanyi Eze, a political historian at the University of Ibadan. “Even the Guinness Book of Records would raise an eyebrow.”
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Zingman has been at the center of numerous international controversies.
He has faced allegations of arms trafficking, suspicious financial dealings in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and maintains ties with Eastern European political and military elites.
He has denied wrongdoing, but his presence at the presidential event raised security and diplomatic concerns.
Observers say President Tinubu’s attempt to validate his academic history by naming Zingman — a man shrouded in scandal — only adds to the opacity that has dogged his educational claims for years.
Tinubu has long maintained that he graduated from Chicago State University in 1979, and that he previously attended Richard Daley College and Government College Lagos. However, inconsistencies and lack of public corroboration from classmates or institutions have cast doubt on these claims.
A certificate allegedly from Government College Lagos, used for his U.S. college admission, bears the date 1970 — two years before the school was established.
No yearbook entries, student directories, or verified testimonials have emerged linking Tinubu to CSU beyond an official confirmation that someone bearing that name graduated in 1979.
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“Each clarification seems to birth a new contradiction,” said Dr. Ayobami Akande, a U.S.-trained education analyst. “This is no longer just about a degree. It’s about credibility and trust in leadership.”
Critics argue that Tinubu, who holds the highest office in the land, must provide unambiguous proof of his academic journey — especially when his past assertions appear riddled with inconsistencies or unverified associations.
“The Presidency is not a place for riddles or ‘mystery classmates’ from halfway across the world,” said Aisha Yesufu, a civic rights campaigner. “The Nigerian people deserve clarity — not cryptic stories.”
“Leadership is about trust,” said legal activist Femi Falana (SAN). “If the foundation is questioned, then every action of that government comes under suspicion.”
As the controversy deepens, President Tinubu has yet to formally respond to the growing calls for transparency. But analysts warn that until he does, this seemingly casual remark about a controversial “classmate” may go down as a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s reckoning with truth and accountability in public office.