Professor Adebayo Williams has criticised former Chicago State University lecturer Dr Adetokunbo Pearse over his recent allegations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu never attended the American institution, accusing him of making claims that disregard their personal history and his knowledge of the president’s relationship with the university.

Williams, in a statement dated November 10, 2026, titled “Re: Tokunbo Pearce & President Bola Tinubu,” described Pearse’s comments as an attack on the President’s integrity and questioned the basis of his claims.

The controversy followed an interview in which Pearse, who said he lectured at Chicago State University between 1985 and 1990, alleged that Tinubu never attended the institution despite claiming to have been a student there.

Pearse described the President as a “professional bonafide liar” and said he was the director of the programme Tinubu allegedly claimed to have attended.

Responding, Williams said he had known Pearse for decades, tracing their relationship to their time in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s.

He disclosed that he was a visiting doctoral student and honorary visiting lecturer at the Department of English, University of Sheffield, between February 1981 and September 1982, during which he became friends with Pearse, who was then a graduate student.

Williams said Pearse defended his doctoral thesis in 1985 before leaving for the United States, adding that their long-standing relationship made the recent allegations particularly disappointing to him.

The professor further claimed that he was part of Tinubu’s entourage during a visit to Chicago State University in 2003, where he said the President received a warm reception from university officials.

According to Williams, the university accorded Tinubu a reception normally reserved for distinguished alumni, while members of the delegation took photographs and received souvenirs.

He argued that the experience contradicted the suggestion that Tinubu had no genuine connection with the institution.

Williams also recalled that he personally introduced Pearse to Tinubu and claimed to know the history of their relationship, adding that the President had never raised the matter with him over the years.

He accused Pearse of allowing political disagreements to affect his judgment and warned against making further personal allegations.

The professor also referred to Pearse’s family background, mentioning his late father, Commander Afolabi Pearse, and his brothers, retired Navy Captain Femi Pearse and Yomi Pearse.

Williams concluded by warning that he would not disclose other matters concerning Pearse unless he crossed what he described as another line.

What Chicago State University records show

The latest exchange has renewed public debate over Tinubu’s educational history, which attracted significant attention during the 2023 presidential election and subsequent legal proceedings.

However, Chicago State University has repeatedly confirmed that Tinubu attended the institution and graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting.

In a statement published on its website in October 2023, the university said it could confirm Tinubu’s attendance and graduation in 1979 and expressed confidence in the accuracy and integrity of its records.

The university also supplied academic documents following a United States federal court order in proceedings connected to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s request for Tinubu’s educational records.

During a deposition in October 2023, Chicago State University Registrar Caleb Westberg testified that Tinubu attended the institution between 1977 and 1979 and graduated in 1979.

The timeline is also significant in assessing Pearse’s latest claim. He said his teaching period at the university was between 1985 and 1990, several years after the period in which the university says Tinubu attended and graduated.

Pearse has nevertheless maintained that his position at the institution gave him knowledge of the programme and records in question.

The university’s confirmation of Tinubu’s attendance and graduation is part of the documented record, while Pearse’s latest assertions remain allegations that have generated fresh political debate.

Neither the Presidency nor Tinubu had publicly responded to Pearse’s latest comments in the reports reviewed.

The disagreement between the two academics and political associates has added another chapter to the continuing debate over the President’s educational background as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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