After Long Silence, President Tinubu Names Chicago Schoolmate at Last, Sparking Mixed Reactions Across Nigeria [VIDEO]

 

After months of intense scrutiny, swirling controversies, and online speculations that have shadowed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s educational background, a major revelation has now captured national attention. In what many are calling a strategic and overdue declaration, President Tinubu has publicly named a former classmate from his days at Chicago State University (CSU), aiming to put an end to the ongoing debates surrounding his academic history.

At a private dinner hosted for select members of the Nigerian diaspora in Washington D.C., President Tinubu, without any formal prompting, casually dropped the name of one "Gregory Thomas", an African-American entrepreneur and now-retired mechanical engineer who reportedly studied alongside him in the late 1970s. The moment was not just revealing; it immediately set off a wave of media alerts and social media reactions back home in Nigeria.

Gregory Thomas, who now resides in Atlanta, Georgia, has since confirmed the claim in a brief phone interview with a Lagos-based online news platform. Speaking with the clarity of someone revisiting faded memories, Thomas recalled group assignments, late-night cram sessions, and even one occasion where Tinubu helped him decipher a complex finance module.

“Yeah, Bola and I, we were in some of the same classes at CSU,” Thomas stated. “He was sharp, always had his eyes on something bigger. We weren’t best friends, but I remember him clearly. Quiet type, but strategic.”

Reactions to this development have been as polarised as the debates that led up to it. Supporters of the president hailed the revelation as a definitive blow to the “falsehood industry”, as they call it, that has thrived on social media platforms over the past few years. Many pointed out that this kind of firsthand testimonial should put to rest doubts about whether the president ever attended the university he claims to have graduated from.

“Opposition elements have been caught napping,” said Kola Abiola, a long-time political ally of Tinubu. “They didn’t think this day would come. But now that someone from the same campus has stood up to say yes, Bola was there, what else do they want?”

On the other side of the political aisle, critics have been far less impressed. Several opposition figures questioned the timing of the revelation and accused the administration of staging a political theater to divert public attention from pressing economic challenges at home.

“Releasing a name now, after so much time has passed, smells more like convenience than clarity,” said Funke Balogun, a spokesperson for the Unity Front Party. “This is not transparency. This is choreography.”

The public is no less divided. Online platforms lit up within minutes of the news breaking, with hashtags like #TinubuChicagoMate and #GregSpeaks trending across Nigerian Twitter (now X) and Instagram. Some netizens expressed relief that at least one mystery might be put to rest, while others mocked the timing, suggesting it took global attention and persistent court cases for such a seemingly simple truth to emerge.

Curiously, the Chicago State University itself has remained silent on the matter. Repeated attempts to contact the school’s media office for further confirmation or clarification have yielded no formal response as of press time.

While the revelation may have tilted the narrative in Tinubu’s favor temporarily, political analysts suggest that its lasting impact will depend on whether any additional evidence or testimonials emerge. Some suggest that this could be a prelude to a broader campaign of image-cleansing as Nigeria approaches critical policy reform years under Tinubu’s administration.

Several advocacy groups, including the Coalition for Electoral Integrity and Citizens' Watch Nigeria, are calling for more comprehensive documentation to be released, such as transcripts, photographs, or written testimonials from multiple classmates. They argue that one person’s voice, while significant, is not enough to completely dismiss years of public doubt.

Still, for now, the president has delivered a moment many thought might never come. Whether it quiets the noise or fans new flames is something only time and public memory will determine. One thing remains clear though: President Tinubu has finally broken his silence in a way that even his harshest critics cannot ignore.

President Tinubu finally reveal one of his school mate in Chicago?? Oya now 🫵🧎 pic.twitter.com/cYr1fEP33e

— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) June 23, 2025