Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu to clarify his claimed connection with Belarusian businessman Alex Zingman, following Tinubu’s recent statement that “Alex” from Belarus was his classmate at Chicago State University (CSU).
In a statement issued Tuesday, Atiku’s media team questioned the accuracy of Tinubu’s claim, pointing out discrepancies in public records.
Tinubu made the statement during the launch of the Renewed Hope Mechanisation Programme in Abuja on Monday.
Atiku expressed concern over the President’s association with Zingman, whose name has been linked to contentious dealings across Africa, including allegations of arms trafficking and financial scandals in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“A review of the records raises serious doubts,” Atiku noted. “Alex Zingman, reportedly born in 1966, would have been only 13 years old in 1979 the year President Tinubu says he graduated from CSU.”
He added, “Should we believe the Guinness Book of Records overlooked a 13-year-old Belarusian prodigy graduating alongside the President? Even more concerning is the President’s casual association with a figure mired in scandal.”
Atiku called for full transparency, questioning why none of Tinubu’s alleged classmates from Government College Lagos, Richard Daley College, or CSU have ever confirmed studying with him.
“Mr. President, Nigerians deserve answers about your academic history, which currently raises more questions than it resolves,” Atiku concluded.
“The Presidency should be a beacon of integrity, not secrecy. Nigerians want truth and clarity not tales of distant ‘Alexes.’”
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