A former lecturer at Chicago State University, Adedeji Doherty, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu never attended the American institution, challenging claims about the President’s academic background.
Doherty made the allegation during an interview on News Central Television, where he also accused the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, of misleading Nigerians by defending Tinubu’s educational records.
The former lecturer disclosed that he worked at Chicago State University between 1985 and 1990, claiming that he was the director of the programme Tinubu reportedly attended.
He insisted that his experience at the institution gave him knowledge of the programme and the circumstances surrounding the President’s alleged attendance.
Doherty said he had information about Tinubu’s academic records as far back as 1999, when individuals reportedly approached him to obtain details about the President’s educational background.
He claimed that the information was later made available to those investigating Tinubu’s academic history, including people associated with the late Lagos politician, Funsho Williams.
According to him, he had earlier advised those seeking the information to focus on campaigning against Tinubu rather than relying solely on the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications.
He, however, maintained that the President never attended Chicago State University and accused him of presenting inaccurate information about his educational background to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Doherty also questioned the Minister of Education’s defence of Tinubu’s academic credentials, alleging that Alausa was acting in the interest of the President.
The former lecturer further warned that the controversy could attract international legal attention, making serious allegations against Tinubu and other public officials.
He also criticised the Federal Government over the state of the economy, citing rising poverty, unemployment and insecurity as evidence of what he described as failures of the administration.
Doherty expressed confidence that Nigerians would make their decision about the government’s performance in the 2027 general election.
The latest allegation has revived the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic qualifications, which featured prominently during the 2023 presidential election and subsequent legal proceedings.
The issue had generated debate following disputes over the President’s educational records and the documents released by Chicago State University during litigation involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
The Minister of Education had recently maintained that Tinubu attended and graduated from Chicago State University with a degree in Accounting.
As of the time of the report, Tinubu had not publicly responded to Doherty’s latest allegations.
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