Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse Fires Fresh Salvo Attacking Tinubu’s Chicago University | OGM News — Nigeria’s political theatre has found another way to turn an academic institution into a campaign battlefield. This time, the controversy surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s educational history has returned to the spotlight following fresh allegations by Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, a former lecturer at Chicago State University, who insists that Tinubu never attended the institution. However, during a subsequent discussion on Arise Television’s Morning Show, veteran journalist Dr. Reuben Abati challenged the credibility of Pearse’s claims, raising questions about his academic responsibilities, access to university records and the authority behind his allegations. And just when Nigerians thought the certificate controversy had exhausted its academic vocabulary, the International Criminal Court somehow entered the conversation!
Five Years at Chicago State University: Does That Make Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse the University Registrar?
Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse Fires Fresh Salvo Attacking Tinubu’s Chicago University | OGM News — Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse reportedly claimed that he lectured at Chicago State University between 1985 and 1990 and directed the programme Tinubu allegedly attended. He went further, insisting that he possessed personal knowledge of the President’s academic history and that Tinubu never attended the institution. Pearse also alleged that information about Tinubu’s academic records had previously been given to individuals investigating the matter on behalf of late Lagos politician Funsho Williams. These are serious allegations, but the question remains: what exactly was his official responsibility, and what documentary evidence supports his account?
Dr. Abati was not particularly impressed by the argument that five years of teaching automatically made Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse an authority on every student’s academic history. He questioned how someone whose teaching background reportedly involved Linguistics and Literature could claim to have supervised the Accounting department from which Tinubu allegedly graduated. His central argument was straightforward: being a lecturer does not automatically make someone the custodian of every student’s admission documents, examination results and graduation records. University records are managed through designated administrative structures, and access is not necessarily granted simply because someone once taught at the institution. In other words, working in the university does not make you the university’s walking database.
The Chicago Records: What the Documents Actually Say
Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse Fires Fresh Salvo Attacking Tinubu’s Chicago University | OGM News — Here is where the argument becomes particularly interesting. Chicago State University had previously confirmed that Bola A. Tinubu attended the institution between August 1977 and June 1979, majoring in Accounting and receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with honours. The university’s registrar also testified under oath during the 2023 proceedings initiated by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar that Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution. This is important because Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse ‘s stated teaching period, 1985 to 1990, came several years after Tinubu’s recorded attendance and graduation.
However, intellectual honesty requires acknowledging that the existence of university attendance records does not automatically settle every controversy surrounding the certificate submitted to Nigeria’s electoral commission. During the 2023 US proceedings, the registrar also testified that the university could not authenticate the particular diploma copy submitted to INEC because it did not have that document in its possession and had no record of issuing that particular copy. That distinction matters. The question of whether Tinubu attended and graduated from Chicago State University is different from the question of whether the specific certificate submitted to INEC was issued by the university. Therefore, neither side should pretend that one question automatically answers the other. But if someone now claims that Tinubu never attended the university at all, that assertion must confront the institution’s own records and sworn testimony.
Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse Made Questionable Claims About the International Criminal Court
Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse Fires Fresh Salvo Attacking Tinubu’s Chicago University | OGM News — Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising aspect of Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse ‘s reported comments is his suggestion that the controversy could end up before the International Criminal Court, with calls for Tinubu’s arrest over the certificate allegations. This is where Abati questioned the legal understanding behind the argument. The ICC is not an international complaints department for every political scandal, electoral disagreement or alleged certificate irregularity. Under Article 5 of the Rome Statute, its jurisdiction is restricted to genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Ordinary allegations of certificate forgery do not, by themselves, fall within those categories.
That does not mean allegations involving a president’s academic qualifications should be dismissed or that public officials should be shielded from scrutiny. Far from it. Nigerians have every right to demand transparency, credible documentation and accountability from anyone seeking public office. But there is a difference between presenting evidence, pursuing a legitimate legal remedy and announcing international arrest fantasies on television. Opposition politics should be about challenging government failures, exposing wrongdoing and offering Nigerians credible alternatives, not turning every disagreement into an international criminal prosecution. If an allegation is serious, bring the evidence, identify the relevant law and allow the appropriate court to determine the matter. Political outrage is not a substitute for legal jurisdiction.
Ultimately, this latest Chicago State University controversy raises two important questions: what exactly can Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse substantiate about his alleged access to Tinubu’s academic records, and why should Nigerians ignore the university’s previously released records and sworn testimony? Dr. Abati’s intervention has brought attention to important gaps in the argument, although the separate controversy surrounding the specific diploma submitted to INEC remains a legitimate subject for scrutiny. Nigeria’s opposition deserves to hold the government accountable, but accountability must be built on verifiable evidence, not exaggerated claims and misplaced legal threats. At the same time, the President’s supporters should understand that university attendance records do not automatically erase every question about the certificate itself. The facts must remain bigger than political loyalty. OGM News NG will continue monitoring the controversy, because when politics enters the classroom, Nigerians deserve more than another lecture in political propaganda. Stay tuned for further updates.
Table of Contents
Discover more from OGM News NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
