By Rita Uzuh | June 24, 2025

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has publicly questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s claim that Belarusian businessman, Alex Zingman, was his classmate at Chicago State University (CSU), casting fresh doubts on the president’s long-disputed academic history.

Speaking in a personally signed statement, Atiku described the revelation made by President Tinubu during the launch of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja as misleading and riddled with inconsistencies.

President Tinubu had, during the commissioning of 2,000 tractors under a collaborative initiative with Belarus, referred to Alex Zingman—whom he mistakenly called Alex Sigman—as a former schoolmate and neighbor at Chicago State University.

“We have friends across the world. Belarus is committed to empowering Nigerian youth with technical skills in fabrication, machinery, and technology,” Tinubu stated, while also crediting Zingman for facilitating the partnership.

However, Atiku sharply disputed the claim, stating that a basic fact-check on Zingman immediately casts doubt on Tinubu’s version of events. According to Atiku, “Alex Zingman was born in 1966, making him only 13 years old in 1979, the year Tinubu claims he graduated from CSU. Are we to believe a 13-year-old Belarusian prodigy graduated from an American university?”

He further pointed out Zingman’s controversial past, noting the businessman’s links to alleged arms trafficking and financial scandals across Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The more the president tries to clarify his academic record, the deeper the mystery becomes,” Atiku said. “Why is there no verifiable record of any classmate from Government College Lagos, Government College Ibadan, or Chicago State University stepping forward?”

He also challenged the president on inconsistencies in his academic documents, citing a certificate allegedly issued by Government College Lagos in 1970—despite the school being established in 1972.

Atiku added, “Mr. President, Nigerians deserve answers. The Presidency is not a sanctuary for secrets; it is a platform for integrity. We are not asking for stories of Alexes from distant lands, but for clarity and truth.”

He called on Tinubu to come clean on his academic past, stressing that Nigerians deserve transparency from their elected leaders.