What I Discovered About Tinubu’s Degree At Chicago State University, By Farooq Kperogi
I’m no fan of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Anyone who has followed my writing in the last few years will attest that I rank in the top three severest critics of his person, record, and politics.
But I’d be remiss in my self-imposed lifetime commitment to pursue the truth irrespective of where it leads me and expose falsehood irrespective of the consequences if I ignore the renewed, systematic dissemination of easily refutable lies about Tinubu not having graduated from Chicago State University (CSU).
Tinubu undeniably has many skeletons in his closet, but Chicago State University isn’t one of them. There is no question that the man who is known today as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended CSU for two years and graduated from it in 1979.
His study at CSU—a four-year, state-funded, historically Black university—was shortened because he transferred two years’ worth of college credit from Richard J. Daley College, a community college (equivalent to a diploma-awarding institution in Nigeria) in Chicago, which started life as William J. Bogan Junior College in 1960, got renamed Southwest College in 1970, and got renamed yet again as Richard J. Daley College in 1976.
That Tinubu graduated from CSU has never been in dispute. It was his claim to have attended or graduated from the elite, highly-ranked, privately owned University of Chicago that was a lie, but he later took back this claim and blamed it on an unintentional error by Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi.
Read Also Chicago State University Deleted 1979 Yearbook From Its Website To Protect Tinubu? – Fact Emerge
In June 2022, when fresh, widely shared, and obviously politically inspired doubts were raised about the authenticity of Tinubu’s graduation from CSU, I took advantage of my being a professor here in the US and reached out to friends and colleagues at the school to help me verify this information.
A friend, who is a professor of English at the university, went to the registrar’s office and confirmed that Tinubu indeed attended and graduated from CSU. “Please be advised that Bola A Tinubu attended Chicago State University from August 1977 [to] June 1979. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with Honors on June 22, 1979. His major was accounting,” a statement from the office of the Registrar of the university read.
I shared this finding in a June 27, 2022, article titled “A Bola Tinubu Graduated From Chicago State University,” which several news outlets and blogs picked up. I wrote that “A Bola A. Tinubu” had graduated from CSU because I hadn’t conclusively authenticated the identity of the person and didn’t want to make any evidence-free association of the name with then-presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
But as I pointed out in a later column titled “Lies and Truth About Obi, Atiku, and Tinubu,” I can now confidently establish that the Bola A. Tinubu who graduated from CSU in 1979 is the same Bola A. Tinubu who is president of Nigeria today. I know this because the yearbook photo of the 1979 CSU cohort features the headshot of an unmistakably younger Tinubu, even though his last name was misspelt as “THUBV.” I’ll come back to this point shortly.
In the past few days, a seemingly coordinated misinformation campaign has been relaunched to resuscitate the lie that Tinubu didn’t graduate from CSU. The rehabilitation of the lie is being constructed on a hexad of appealing but ultimately self-contradictory inaccuracies and innuendos.
The first is that a search of Bola A. Tinubu in the archive of U.S. college graduation records yields zero matches. Well, that’s because Tinubu’s last name was misspelt as “THUBV” in his final graduation record. But a search of “Bola A. THUBV” (which one Engr. Stanley with the Twitter handle @Engr_Stanley_EC did) turns up the record of a male who graduated from CSU with a degree in Business Administration (and a concentration in accounting).
Non-Western names are always liable to be misspelled here. I know because I’ve suffered this multiple times. Apparently, Tinubu wrote his name in longhand, as was the practice then, and whoever was responsible for entering the final records couldn’t correctly make out Tinubu’s handwriting. It’s easy to see how handwritten “I” and “N” can be mistaken for “H” and how “U” can be mistaken for “V.”
Of course, it’s reasonable to assume that Tinubu complained, and a correction was later issued for his degree certificate, but it was too late for the information that was sent to the National Student Clearinghouse.
The second trigger for the rehabilitation of the lie is a putative July 8, 2011, FBI letter to the EFCC, which allegedly concluded that its search of Bola “Tinubo” in Chicago State University’s records showed that no such person ever enrolled at the school.
Well, duh (as Americans would say to signal that something is self-evidently obvious), no “Bola Tinubo” exists anywhere in the world. Had the FBI searched for “Bola A. Tinubu” at CSU’s registrar’s office, it would have found out that a person with that name graduated from the school in 1979.
The third lifeline for the revival of the falsehood is that a transcript oddly dated “0/76” from Southwest College belonged to a female. As I pointed out earlier, Richard J. Daley College used to be called Southwest College until late 1976. So, when Tinubu first enrolled at the school in 1975, it was called Southwest College, but by the time he graduated from it in 1977, it had been renamed Richard J. Daley College.
There are several red flags with the transcript, the boldest being the numbering scheme of the social security number shown in it. The nine-digit U.S. social security number is divided into a three-digit area number, a two-digit group number, and a four-digit serial number. It has always been that way.
But the social security number in the Southwest College transcript supposedly belonging to a female Bola A Tinubu is 231-060-595. That’s an impossible numbering scheme for a US social security number. Plus, the transcript isn’t properly dated and leaves the spaces for date of birth and record of high school blank. These are no trivial red flags of inauthenticity.
The fourth reason some people have infused a new life to the lie that Tinubu didn’t graduate from CSU is that the university locked its Twitter account in response to unremittingly vitriolic denunciations from some Nigerians. They say that indicates that the school is guilty of issuing a fake degree to Tinubu. That’s tortured logic. People and organisations routinely lock their Twitter accounts when they are subjected to an unceasing torrent of caustic online abuse.
In April, a TIME magazine reporter by the name of Astha Rajvanshi, who wrote a profile on Tinubu after he made it to the magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, was forced to lock her Twitter account after political fanatics relentlessly cursed, defamed, and threatened her for doing her job.
CSU is obviously unaccustomed to the quantum of negative attention it’s receiving from a group of Nigerians who are still smarting from the outcome of the last presidential election. It obviously wants to stop it.
The fifth impetus for the revival of the lie that Tinubu couldn’t have graduated from CSU is that Tinubu withdrew claims that he attended primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, which means he didn’t possess the qualifications to be admitted to a U.S. higher education institution.
Well, it’s entirely possible to earn a degree in America without ever attending a secondary school. There’s something called the General Educational Development test (or GED) for people who didn’t earn a high diploma before the age of 18. A close American friend and colleague of mine by the name of Matt Duffy didn’t have a high school diploma. He had a GED, but he ended up getting a Ph.D.
I am not saying that was what happened with Tinubu. I don’t have the facts to make that claim. But it’s reasonable to assume that since it’s widely speculated that Tinubu changed the identity he had at birth, he disclaimed all associations with the schools he attended in his actual hometown in Osun and took a GED test in Chicago. In any case, most community colleges (and non-flagship state schools) have open enrollment policies, which means just about anybody can get into them.
Finally, the fact that Tinubu doesn’t want CSU to release his academic record— and the fact that the university has spurned requests to release his records— is being held up as an indication that he had no academic record there and that Tinubu and CSU are acting in cahoots to cover up a crime.
Well, there’s something called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which forbids all universities and colleges in the United States from disclosing the academic records of a student to a third party. Every year, I (and all university employees who handle students’ grades here) have to undergo training on how not to disclose students’ records to third parties, including parents, without students’ written permission.
Schools can only confirm directory information, such as whether or not a student graduated from a school, which CSU has done repeatedly. And why would Tinubu accede in writing to his academic records being released to political opponents? Most people won’t, even if it’s just for the pleasure of seeing their opponents squirm in anger and frustration.
Media In Politics: Tinubu Example By Abiodun Komolafe
The marriage or inclusion of the media in politics is inevitable. The only credible institutional link between the government and the people, other social institutions and the masses is so interwoven with the reality of the society that, when Bola Ahmed Tinubu started his own media outfits, he had already known what he wanted before setting out for it. It’s not just for self but for the sake of legacy. Tinubu never attempted to discourage deferring opinions. Thus, the future 16th president of Nigeria started out with credible and tested personalities in the media business. He harvested a list of the best in the field and was willing to play by the rules, the first of which was _‘there shall be no compromise’,_ because compromise might end up being the ruination of the entire buildup. Of course, once society recognizes that simple-but-important attribute of compromise, it takes whatever one says with a pinch of salt; and credibility, which is the bone of the entire project, runs out.
Talking about funding, Tinubu realized early in life that media as a project was a long-term investment, not one haphazard approach in structure or texture. In fairness to posterity, he has sufficient money and he was willing to spend it, long-term. Is it any wonder that his media outfits are still out there, _‘gidigba’,_ like the rock of Gibraltar?
On Research and Development, no matter whose ox is gored, Tinubu’s media outfits are ready to research anything without minding the outcome; and the resources to execute such a project is never in short supply. This explains his media relevance in the scheme of things in the Nigerian society, today, tomorrow and years to come.
As a democrat, Tinubu has never attempted to muscle the opponents out. The facts are out there for all to see. His Editorial Board at The Nation newspaper is perhaps the freest in Nigeria. Whatever sympathy each member of the Board expresses belongs to him or her. In other words, no one can claim that those expressions or desires belong to its promoter.
Tinubu is never afraid of other ideas blossoming; and this is key! As a matter of fact, the _‘Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom’,_ now our president, enjoys that aspect of human relations. As we know, when one is afraid that other ideas will fly, panic mode sets in. Competitive ideas make Tinubu dig deeper, to look for the best in the industry so as to have the best ideas in a particular area. And, once money can purchase it, and that thing is relevant to his cause, one can rest assured that he will surely have it, unless it’s no longer relevant to him. Irrespective of other sentiments, these attributes are responsible for the solid media establishment that he has. Anyone who wants to emulate him will have to understudy his organizational prowess and management style before venturing into it. Instead of attacking him, or his media team, please understudy the man!
It’s unfortunate that some Nigerians are wasting their time attacking Tinubu, because, even if they succeed at the end of the day – and that’s a big ‘if’- what do they stand to gain? Some people said the Asiwaju of Lagos never went to school. Now, they have changed gear; they are saying his academic records are not straight. If we may ask, whose fault is that? If his records are not straight as they are claiming, why not press charges against the institution that has in any case never said that the president was never one of its students? Anyway, that’s the sad side of a society that is as complex as ours! Obviously, that’s why the opposition’s obsession is on the president.
For a media team to be successful, the outlook must never be parochial, sectional or regional; or show religious inclinations – as in the case of Nigeria. Once these are avoided, the sky is the limit for such a media team. It is important to note that there’s no Nigerian tribe that has no representation in Tinubu’s media team. If it were to be only a Yoruba project, there would have been serious troubles; and were the Igbos to have dominated it, it would have shown a bend. The Northerners are also represented, but certainly not in a frightening manner. Of course, these are the things to watch out for in a media team so that when the battle kick-starts, it will be on a plain ground.
In the calibration and composition of media content, humanity must never be left out. Granted the media setup must have been directed at a goal, a purpose, yet one cannot rub it off the essence of humanity which is the focus. Even when not in government, Tinubu Media Office was stronger, better funded and more alive to its responsibilities than most of the state governments’ and public-funded media establishments. Have we asked why his media outfits – TVC and others – became targets of attack during _#EnSARS?_
Over the years, the media has reinvented – and, it’s still reinventing – itself. The backstage era of Babatunde Jose has long taken a detour. Modern times are here. The standard has changed. Professionalism has also increased. But the cost of production has also gone up vis-à-vis poverty and corruption. Likewise, divergence of interests in the Nigerian society has taken its toll on the integrity of the media profile and public space. Therefore, understanding the roles of the media in Nigeria must take into recognition the diverse factors earlier mentioned. The fear of the publishers to publish is sometimes regarded as wisdom. In a non-conducive atmosphere, the expected profit margin of the news media is crucial and should weigh-in higher on the decision to publish. If society is no longer appreciative of a publication, why publish?
Expectedly, the media establishment, in whatever form it is, must be ready to come under attacks and criticisms. Of course, that’s why it cannot afford to lose its guard but must remain a veritable warehouse where news is scrutinized. Also, the state and society must never lose confidence in the media; otherwise, society goes to the dogs. Attitudinal disposition of the media operatives must always be in check; and this is not just about money but also the contents and ideas espoused by the individual. Globally, social dynamics is in so much flux that ideology can no longer be easily formulated or tested for validity.
According to Peter Drucker, _“leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.”_ The Bola Tinubus of this world have done their best. They have shown that _“opportunity dances with those who are already on the dance floor”._ They have also demonstrated how _“ideas”_ could be _”great arrows”,_ how to get _“a bow”;_ and how _“politics”_ could be _“the bow of idealism.”_ So, let society collaborate by being active in its civic responsibilities of cross-checking news and validating the same. Absence, inaccurate and/or inadequate dissemination of real facts will surely give room for fake news to blossom, forcing a media team into damage control occupation. That’s what keeps the media on its toes and keeps it from going rogue.
May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
_•KOMOLAFE writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk; 08098614418 – SMS only)