Professor Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, has reignited controversy over President Bola Tinubu’s identity, educational history and nationality, declaring that fundamental questions about the Nigerian leader remain unanswered.
Speaking during an interview on Nigeria Info FM’s Daily Digest with veteran broadcaster Jimi Disu, the human rights lawyer argued that Nigerians still lack clear and verifiable information about the president’s origins, family background and educational qualifications.
Odinkalu claimed that Tinubu’s nationality remains a subject of public concern, alleging that the president possesses a Guinean diplomatic passport. He further stated that questions surrounding the president’s parentage and genealogy have never been satisfactorily resolved, adding that even former President Muhammadu Buhari had previously expressed doubts over those issues.
According to Odinkalu, the uncertainty extends to the president’s educational records.
He questioned why there is no widely accepted record of the primary or secondary schools attended by Tinubu despite his claim of obtaining a university degree.
Responding to comments previously made by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Festus Keyamo suggesting that the president may have been homeschooled, Odinkalu insisted that such an explanation should be publicly declared if true.
He argued that homeschooling alone does not replace the formal educational process because it is typically followed by recognized examinations and certification before admission into higher institutions.
Odinkalu also maintained that earlier claims linking Tinubu to Government College Ibadan and other schools had been disproved, alleging that records now appear to have been altered or recreated to satisfy present requirements.
He questioned how anyone could legitimately obtain a university degree without verifiable records of completing primary and secondary education.
The professor said any school that produced a Nigerian president should proudly celebrate the achievement regardless of how small or obscure the institution might be.
Drawing from his own experience, Odinkalu recalled beginning primary school as an internally displaced child after the Nigerian Civil War in a remote community that does not even appear on modern maps. Despite its obscurity, he said he remains proud of that part of his history because personal identity should never be hidden.
He stressed that the debate goes far beyond election paperwork or legal technicalities.
According to him, Nigeria cannot convincingly teach young people that honesty, integrity and accountability are essential values while the country’s highest office is surrounded by unresolved questions about identity, family background and educational history.
Odinkalu argued that citizens naturally derive pride from knowing that a president came from their community or attended the same school because such shared histories strengthen national identity, particularly in societies where institutions are still developing.
He concluded by saying that institutions which validated the president’s emergence, including the Supreme Court, face serious questions of conscience over their roles in addressing the lingering controversies surrounding the president’s identity and educational records.
