Did Tinubu Attend Same School with Alexander Zingman? Facts Emerge

• President Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced Alexander Zingman as his former schoolmate at Chicago State University (CSU)
• The President said the Belarusian businessman was his former schoolmate and neighbour during his university days in the United States
• This fact-check article presents the available facts as we know them after Tinubu's claim generated a lot of raised questions

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

FCT, Abuja - Alexander Zingman, a Belarusian businessman, has been trending after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced him as his schoolmate at Chicago State University (CSU).

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Tinubu publicly talked about his days at Chicago State University as he introduced a former schoolmate.

President Tinubu described Zingman as a “very good friend” and “neighbour” during his time at CSU.

“To all of you, Alex was my very good neighbour and went to the same school with me in Chicago.

“I believe our university will be very proud that we are doing this here today”.

Who is Alex Zingman?

As reported by TheCable, the early life of the Belarusian businessman was captured during an interview with Day Night TV, a Ukrainian publication.

The original version of the interview is no longer available, but the archived link was obtained from Zingman’s Wikipedia page.

Zingman reportedly said he was born on November 26, 1966, in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. This means he will be 59 years old by November 2025.

He bagged a bachelor’s degree in Robots and Robotic Systems from Belarusian National Polytechnic University between 1985 and 1989.

The businessman further stated that he studied business marketing at the University of Illinois, Chicago, United States, from 1991 to 1995. He equally received a master’s degree from the university.

The Belarusian claimed that he once served in the Soviet Army from 1983 to 1985.

Comparing Zingman, Tinubu’s academic records

Tinubu graduated from Chicago State University (CSU) in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, and management.

While Tinubu graduated from CSU, Zingman said he attended the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC).

CSU and UIC are two different schools located in the Chicago area of Illinois in the United States.

Tinubu’s claim that he and Zingman attended the same school – CSU – is not supported by available evidence.

It is important to note that Tinubu did not state that he and Zingman attended university at the same time.

The Belarusian businessman would have been about 11 years old when Tinubu was admitted into CSU in 1977 and 13 years old when the president graduated.

There is also no evidence that Zingman had moved to the US when Tinubu was studying at CSU.

When Zingman was in his second year at UIC, Tinubu was a senator representing Lagos West in Nigeria in 1993.

Atiku’s aide reacts as Tinubu introduces ex-schoolmate

In a previous story, Legit.ng reported that Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Paul Ibe, reacted to the introduction of Zingman as former schoolmate of President Tinubu.

Ibe said Nigerians deserve answers, not more confusion about President Tinubu’s long-contested academic history.

Atiku's aide said Zingman has been linked to controversial dealings across Africa, including allegations of arms trafficking and financial improprieties.

Source: Legit.ng