Recent claims suggesting a classmate connection between Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Belarusian engineer Alex Zingman have sparked widespread debate. The assertion, which implies the two attended Chicago State University (CSU) together, has been met with scepticism due to significant discrepancies in their educational timelines and institutions.
Bola Tinubu was allegedly born in 1952 (others claim he was born 10 years earlier in 1942) and that makes him 73 years old. He is reported to have attended Chicago State University from 1977 to 1979, earning a degree during this period.
Alex Zingman was born on November 26, 1966, Zingman is 58 years old. He studied at the University of Illinois in Chicago, earning a master’s degree in robotic engineering between 1991 and 1995.
Chicago State University and the University of Illinois in Chicago are distinct institutions, making any claim of them being classmates at the same school factually inaccurate. Furthermore, a stark age and timeline difference undermines the narrative:
In 1977, when Tinubu allegedly began his studies at CSU, Zingman was only 10 years old, far too young to be a university student.
Zingman’s university attendance 1991-1995 occurred over a decade after Tinubu’s reported graduation at Chicago State University in 1979.
The 15-year age gap and differing educational paths highlight the implausibility. This has led to accusations of misrepresentation, with critics labelling the claim as a “thoughtless lie” and pointing to Tinubu’s educational records, already under scrutiny, as potentially fabricated.
This controversy adds to ongoing questions about Tinubu’s academic history, particularly his CSU credentials, which some allege were obtained under dubious circumstances. Zingman, a respected engineer with a career spanning infrastructure and agricultural projects in Africa, has no documented connection to CSU during Tinubu’s tenure. The narrative appears to collapse under basic scrutiny, raising concerns about credibility and the dissemination of accurate information.
The Tinubu-Zingman “classmate” claim lacks foundation, undermined by clear evidence of different schools, timelines, and ages. As the public digests this, the focus remains on verifying historical claims against documented facts, a task that demands transparency and accountability.
