Toba Owojaiye Reporting
Farooq A. Kperogi’s article, titled “Tinubu Definitely Graduated from Chicago State University,” addressed the controversy surrounding Nigerian politician Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s educational background. The author, despite being critical of Tinubu in the past, emphasized the importance of pursuing the truth and exposing falsehoods.
The central claim of the article is that Tinubu did, in fact, attend Chicago State University (CSU) for two years and graduated from it in 1979. The author supported this assertion with evidence, including a statement from the CSU registrar’s office confirming Tinubu’s attendance and graduation. Additionally, a yearbook photo from the 1979 CSU cohort features a younger Tinubu, albeit with a misspelled last name.
The article also addressed several points used to question Tinubu’s graduation from CSU. First, the misspelling of his last name as “THUBV” in the final graduation record is explained as a common occurrence with non-Western names. This misspelling may have led to difficulties in locating his records in a database search.
Secondly, a purported FBI letter from 2011 claiming that no such person as Bola “Tinubo” ever enrolled at CSU is scrutinized. The article pointed out inconsistencies in the letter, such as the use of an incorrect social security number format and missing information.
The third point raised was the university’s decision to lock its Twitter account due to online abuse. The author argued that this is a response to negativity from some Nigerians and does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing on the part of the university.
The fourth argument addressed Tinubu’s withdrawal of claims regarding his primary and secondary education in Nigeria. The author suggested that Tinubu may have taken a General Educational Development (GED) test in the United States to meet admission requirements, as many community colleges have open enrollment policies.
Lastly, the article discussed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which prohibits universities from disclosing academic records to third parties without written permission. The refusal to release Tinubu’s academic records is explained as a legal constraint rather than evidence of wrongdoing.
In conclusion, Farooq A. Kperogi presented a compelling case for the authenticity of Tinubu’s graduation from Chicago State University. It refuted various claims used to cast doubt on his educational background and highlighted the importance of factual verification in addressing such controversies.