Nigeria’s Education Minister Claims Tinubu Graduated With First Class From Chicago State University

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, November 4th, 2026

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) –Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu graduated with first-class honours in Accounting from Chicago State University (CSU) in the United States.

Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, Alausa said he lived in Chicago for nearly 30 years and met many of Tinubu’s classmates. He described the president as a “genius” and dismissed opposition criticism over Tinubu’s academic records.

However, the claim is not supported by CSU’s official statements. The university has only confirmed that Tinubu attended and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree — it has not said he earned first-class honours. CSU cited federal privacy law in declining to release further details without Tinubu’s consent or a court order.

The controversy over Tinubu’s credentials dates back to the 2023 presidential election, when allegations emerged questioning whether the Tinubu who attended CSU was the same person now serving as president. Opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar sought a U.S. court order for the university to release Tinubu’s records. In October 2023, CSU confirmed Tinubu’s attendance and graduation, but the degree classification remains unverified by the school.

A man who claims to be Tinubu’s classmate, Durojaiye Ogunsanya, also said in 2023 that the two graduated from the same department in 1979, but he did not mention first-class honours either.