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Tinubu Is a Genius, Graduated With First Class in Accounting From Chicago State University — Education Minister, Tunji Alausa Says
Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has publicly defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic credentials, describing the president as a genius and insisting that he graduated with a first-class degree in accounting from Chicago State University (CSU), United States.
Alausa made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, where he discussed the Federal Government’s educational achievements and addressed the lingering controversy surrounding the president’s academic qualifications.
Speaking from his personal experience of living and working in the United States for nearly three decades, the minister maintained that he was familiar with Chicago State University and had visited the institution several times. He said his knowledge of the university and its academic environment informed his confidence in Tinubu’s educational background.
“I studied in America and I worked in America. I know the importance of research. The president is also the first internationally exposed president. The president that studied in America, that had first class in accounting,” he said.
Alausa further dismissed allegations questioning the authenticity of the president’s academic records, describing them as opposition-driven narratives that, in his view, do not reflect the facts surrounding Tinubu’s attendance at the American institution.
“I know the university: Chicago State University. Forget the nonsense opposition is peddling. I’m telling your hard core facts. I lived in Chicago for almost 30 years. I have been to that university so many times,” he said.
When asked whether he had personally met people who attended the university alongside Tinubu, the education minister answered in the affirmative, claiming to have met several of the president’s former classmates.
“Oh many in person. So, forget the nonsense from the opposition. Let’s not talk about the capability of this president. The president is a genius. Look at how he has transformed a moribound country to a country that is growing,” he said.
The minister’s intervention comes against the backdrop of the prolonged public debate over Tinubu’s academic qualifications, particularly following the controversy that dominated political discourse before and after the 2023 presidential election.
According to the president’s personal particulars submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu, alongside former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, did not provide details of their primary and secondary school education.
Tinubu listed a university qualification, indicating that he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1979. However, the document did not specifically state that he graduated with first-class honours. His academic records identify his qualification as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with accounting and management listed as areas of study.
The controversy surrounding the president’s academic history intensified during the build-up to the 2023 general election, following allegations questioning the identity of the individual who attended Chicago State University under the name Bola Tinubu.
In August 2023, Atiku Abubakar approached a United States district court, seeking an order compelling Chicago State University to release documents relating to Tinubu’s academic records. The application formed part of his efforts to investigate the president’s educational claims.
Tinubu subsequently opposed the application, setting the stage for an international legal and public debate over the records held by the American institution.
However, in October 2023, Chicago State University confirmed that Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution in 1979. The university expressed confidence in its records concerning his completion of graduation requirements and the issuance of his degree certificate.
In a statement provided to CBS Broadcasting, the American university explained that federal privacy laws prevented it from releasing additional information about Tinubu without his consent or an appropriate court order.
The controversy also attracted testimonies from individuals who claimed to have studied alongside the Nigerian president. Among them was public affairs analyst Durojaiye Ogunsanya, who, in September 2023, identified himself as Tinubu’s former classmate at Chicago State University.
Ogunsanya said he graduated alongside Tinubu in 1979 from the Department of Accounting and Business Administration, adding his voice to those who maintained that the president attended the institution.
Alausa’s latest comments have therefore reopened public conversations about Tinubu’s educational background, with the education minister placing emphasis on his personal familiarity with Chicago State University and his interactions with individuals he identified as the president’s former classmates.
While the minister’s remarks represent his personal account and defence of the president, the distinction between the officially documented degree qualification and the specific first-class classification remains important in accurately reporting the academic recor
ds at the centre of the controversy