Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to clarify his ties to Belarusian businessman, Alex Zingman, who he called his classmate in Chicago University, United States of America.
President Tinubu’s comment identifying the controversial businessman as his former classmate has sparked renewed controversy over his academic history.
The revelation, made during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja, has made the opposition question both the identity of the man and the credibility of the President’s long-contested records.
Speaking at the launch on Monday in Abuja, President Tinubu made a surprising reference to a man seated in the audience.
Also Read:
- Court fixes date for hearing of Lagos socialite Fajembola’s N50m suit against Police, Tunde Ayeni
- Edo 2024: PDP accepts supreme court judgment with ‘respect, grace, and dignity’
- EFCC alerts Nigerians on rising virtual asset, investment frauds
- Akume debunks report of jostling for APC national chairmanship
- I was most demonised person under Jonathan administration – Shettima
He said: “To all of you, Alex was my very good neighbour, and went to the same school with me in Chicago.
“Never did we dream that I would be in this position as President of Nigeria and Alex a successful businessman from Belarus.”
The comment had ignited scrutiny as investigations by online users and political commentators quickly linked “Alex” to Alex Zingman, a Belarusian national whose name has featured in multiple international reports involving alleged arms trafficking and questionable financial activities in parts of Africa, including Zimbabwe and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Records uncovered suggest that Zingman was born in 1966, raising immediate questions about the President’s publicly stated records.
Tinubu has previously claimed to have graduated from Chicago State University in 1979.
If accurate, that would mean Zingman was only 13 years old at the time, an unlikely age for a university graduate, let alone a classmate.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Atiku Media Office demanded transparency, questioning the credibility of the President’s claim and highlighting discrepancies in publicly available information.
The statement questioned: “Are we now to believe that the Guinness Book of Records missed the story of a 13-year-old Belarusian prodigy graduating from an American university alongside Bola Ahmed Tinubu?”
The Atiku Media Office also raised broader concerns about the President’s academic records, including the absence of verifiable classmates from his time at Government College, Lagos and Chicago State University.
It questioned how a school founded in 1972 could have issued a certificate dated 1970, as claimed by the President.
The statement demanded: “Mr. President, Nigerians deserve to know why the mystery around your academic record deepens with every attempt to clarify it.
“Who truly walked the halls of Chicago State University with you?”
Reports have linked Zingman to various international business dealings, some of which have been the subject of scrutiny.
His association with President Tinubu has prompted calls for clarity on the nature of their relationship and its implications.
“Mr. President, Nigerians deserve to know the nature of your relationship with Alex Zingman and whether he was indeed your classmate at Chicago State University,” the Atiku Media Office statement on Tuesday further added.
The Atiku Media Office emphasised the importance of integrity and accountability in public office, urging President Tinubu to address these questions with transparency.
It said: “Mr. President, your oath of office binds you not just to protect our nation but to honour its truth.
“The Presidency is not a sanctuary for secrets — it is a platform for integrity.
“And as such, Nigerians await not tales of Alexes from distant lands but proof, clarity, and the simple dignity of facts.”
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
