…. inconsistencies in timeline and identity
A new controversy is brewing around Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after he publicly claimed that Belarusian businessman Aleksandr Zingman was his former classmate at Chicago State University (CSU) — a statement that does not appear to hold up under scrutiny.
The revelation came during the launch of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja on Monday, a flagship agricultural initiative that saw the introduction of 2,000 tractors and other farming equipment, as part of a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and Belarus.
Speaking at the event, which was attended by Belarus’s Deputy Prime Minister, Viktor Karankevich, Tinubu introduced Zingman — whom he erroneously referred to as Alex Sigman — as a long-time friend and university colleague. He described him as a “very good neighbour” during their time at CSU, crediting him with facilitating the Belarusian partnership.
However, public records and historical data raise serious doubts about the claim.
Timeline Doesn’t Add Up
Aleksandr Zingman was born on 26 November 1966. President Tinubu has publicly stated that he began attending Chicago State University in 1977 and graduated in 1979. This would mean Zingman was only 11 years old when Tinubu purportedly enrolled — an implausible age for university-level education in the United States.
Furthermore, records indicate that Zingman attended the Belarusian National Technical University, graduating in 1989, a full decade after Tinubu’s reported graduation from CSU.
Adding to the confusion, a statement from the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, not only referred to Zingman by the incorrect name “Alex Sigman”, but also mistakenly described the institution as the University of Chicago, a separate and more prestigious institution than Chicago State University, where Tinubu claims to have studied.
STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE
IN PUSH FOR AGRICULTURAL RENAISSANCE, PRESIDENT TINUBU LAUNCHES 2,000 TRACTORS FOR MECHANISED FARMING
President Bola Tinubu on Monday in Abuja declared that Nigeria’s agricultural renaissance has begun as he commissioned 2,000 tractors for nationwide… pic.twitter.com/kVTdtoF7tQ
— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) June 23, 2025
Longstanding Certificate Controversy Resurfaces
This incident reopens old wounds in what has become an enduring controversy around Tinubu’s academic credentials.
Questions about Tinubu’s educational history first emerged in the early 2000s during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State. In a 2002 Supreme Court hearing, his legal team attributed inconsistencies in his academic records to clerical errors, while shielding him from prosecution under gubernatorial immunity.
Following his departure from office in 2007, scrutiny around his identity and credentials waned. However, these issues resurfaced in 2022 as Tinubu declared his presidential ambition. Allegations include claims of identity fraud, the use of forged documents, and accusations of adopting another person’s academic history.
His wealth and career have also been dogged by unproven allegations of money laundering and historical links to narcotics-related investigations in the United States — though Tinubu has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The introduction of a foreign businessman with a questionable connection to the President as a key figure in a multi-million-dollar national initiative raises significant concerns about transparency, accountability, and due diligence at the highest levels of government.
Critics argue that this incident once again underscores the need for clearer answers on Tinubu’s past — including a full and public clarification of his educational background, official records, and international associations.
