A former lecturer at Chicago State University (CSU), Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu, describing him as a “professional crook” and alleging that he never attended the American institution.

Pearse, a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, made the assertions during an interview on News Central, reigniting the long-standing dispute surrounding the president’s academic background.

Speaking on the renewed focus regarding the president’s educational credentials, Pearse stated unequivocally that Tinubu lacked integrity and was misrepresented in official filings.

“The fact of the matter is, I know he never attended Chicago State University,” Pearse said. “He knows that I know. So the man has no integrity.”

When confronted with earlier statements from government officials—including the Minister of Aviation, who suggested Tinubu was homeschooled—Pearse dismissed the defense, urging critics to examine the documentation submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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“That was not what Tinubu himself said,” Pearse countered. “Look at the record he submitted to INEC. He never said he was homeschooled. He gave names of schools he never attended. This man is a professional crook.”

Pearse offered details regarding his own tenure in the United States to substantiate his claims, noting that he worked at the university during the era in question.

“I used to be a lecturer at Chicago State University for five years,” he explained. “I was the director of the programme in which Tinubu said he attended at Chicago State University. I was in Chicago State University between 1985 and 1990.”

He further alleged that his familiarity with the situation made him a focal point for political opponents seeking verification decades ago.

“When Funsho Williams was looking for information on Tinubu’s record in 1999, it was to me they sent people to come get the information,” Pearse claimed. “I had the information. If he is a genius, he is a genius at rigging elections.”

Presidential spokespersons Bayo Onanuga and Daniel Bwala have not yet issued an official response to the allegations.

The legitimacy of President Tinubu’s academic credentials has remained one of the most contentious debates in Nigerian politics. While Chicago State University has previously affirmed that an individual named Bola Tinubu attended and graduated from the institution in 1979, political opponents continue to challenge the authenticity of his submissions. The dispute coincides with parallel legal efforts by the president’s legal team to block the release of his confidential files held by U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).