By Ademola Adekusibe
The controversy surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic history has taken a dramatic turn as Professor Bayo Williams launched a blistering attack on Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, accusing him of ingratitude and warning that he could expose private matters if the former Chicago State University lecturer continues what he described as attacks against the President.
Williams, in a strongly worded statement titled “Re: Tokunbo Pearse & Bola Tinubu,” expressed disappointment over Pearse’s recent allegations that Tinubu never attended Chicago State University, insisting that he personally witnessed the President’s visit to the institution.
The professor also claimed that he was responsible for bringing Pearse and Tinubu together and knew what the President had done for Pearse in the past.
“I feel particularly pained by this because I brought them together and I know all that Tinubu did for him. In fairness to him, the President has never brought up the matter for discussion,” Williams stated.
His response followed Pearse’s recent television interview in which the former university lecturer questioned Tinubu’s academic history and described the President as a “professional crook” over the controversy surrounding his educational records.
‘I Have Never Said a Word About His Attacks on Tinubu’
Williams began his response by expressing concern over what he described as the decline of honour and integrity in Nigerian politics.
He said he had deliberately avoided commenting on Pearse’s criticisms of Tinubu over the years but believed the latest allegations had crossed a line.
The professor described Pearse’s attacks as “scurrilous and spurious,” suggesting that his personal knowledge of the relationship between the two men made the situation particularly disappointing.
According to Williams, his relationship with Pearse dates back several decades, long before Tinubu became President of Nigeria.
He disclosed that he met Pearse at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, where he was a visiting doctoral student and honorary visiting lecturer at the Department of English between February 1981 and September 1982.
Pearse, he said, was also a graduate student at the institution at the time, and the two developed a close friendship.
Williams explained that after spending some time at the University of Buffalo in the United States, he returned to the then University of Ife to defend his doctoral thesis.
Pearse, he added, defended his own thesis in 1985 before relocating to America.
The professor’s account was intended to establish the longstanding nature of their relationship and explain why he felt personally disappointed by Pearse’s latest comments.
Williams Claims He Accompanied Tinubu to Chicago State University
The most significant part of Williams’ response concerned his account of Tinubu’s visit to Chicago State University, the American institution at the centre of the renewed controversy.
Williams claimed that he was part of Tinubu’s entourage during a visit to the university in 2013, where he said the President received an enthusiastic reception from university officials.
According to him, the reception was comparable to the treatment reserved for distinguished alumni who had brought honour to their former institution.
He said members of the delegation took photographs and received souvenirs during the visit.
“We took pictures and received many souvenirs. That is not the way of a rogue student,” Williams declared.
The professor’s account directly challenges Pearse’s recent assertion that Tinubu never attended Chicago State University.
Williams presented his recollection of the visit as evidence that the President had a recognised relationship with the institution, while questioning the credibility of Pearse’s claims.
However, his account of the visit remains a personal recollection and is distinct from the university’s official academic records.
‘At 78, Desperation Is Beginning to Cloud Everything’
Beyond defending Tinubu, Williams launched a personal attack on Pearse, questioning his motives and suggesting that his political position had affected his judgment.
The professor specifically referenced Pearse’s age, stating that at 78, desperation was beginning to influence everything he said and did.
He also brought Pearse’s family into the statement, mentioning his late father, Commander Afolabi Pearse, and his brothers, including retired Navy Captain Femi Pearse and Yomi Pearse.
Williams said the reputation of Pearse’s family had made him reluctant to conclude that his conduct reflected a broader family trait.
The remarks marked a sharp escalation from the academic disagreement into a deeply personal exchange between two individuals who, according to Williams, had shared a longstanding friendship.
‘All the Other Secrets Are Safe With Me’
In what could become the most controversial part of his response, Williams warned Pearse that he was keeping other private matters concerning him undisclosed.
The professor did not identify the alleged secrets or provide details of what he was referring to. However, he suggested that he could reconsider his silence if Pearse continued making statements he considered unacceptable.
“In keeping with where I come from, I assure Toks that all the other secrets are safe with me until he crosses another line,” he warned.
The statement has added another dimension to the dispute, raising questions about the nature of the information Williams claims to possess and whether the confrontation could become even more personal.
For now, the professor has not disclosed the alleged secrets, but his warning signals that the exchange may not end with the current round of accusations.
What Pearse Said About Tinubu and Chicago State University
The confrontation followed an interview in which Pearse, who said he lectured at Chicago State University between 1985 and 1990, questioned whether Tinubu ever attended the institution.
Pearse claimed that he was the director of the programme Tinubu allegedly attended and insisted that he had knowledge of the university’s records.
He also criticised Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa for defending the President’s academic history, arguing that statements about Tinubu’s education did not correspond with the information he believed was available.
During the interview, Pearse described Tinubu as a “professional crook” and accused him of presenting names of schools he allegedly never attended in documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
His comments revived a politically sensitive issue that has featured prominently in Nigerian political debate since the 2023 presidential election.
Pearse’s claims, however, have been challenged by Williams, who says he personally accompanied Tinubu to the university and witnessed the reception accorded to him.
What Chicago State University Records Show
The latest exchange has renewed public attention on Tinubu’s educational history, particularly his attendance at Chicago State University.
The university confirmed that Tinubu attended the institution between 1977 and 1979 and graduated in June 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, specialising in Accounting.
The institution’s records also became the subject of legal proceedings in the United States in 2023 after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar sought access to Tinubu’s academic documents.
During those proceedings, the university provided academic records and testimony concerning Tinubu’s attendance and graduation.
The timeline is also relevant to Pearse’s latest allegations. He has said he worked at Chicago State University 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 remains part of the documented record, while Pearse’s latest assertions have generated fresh political debate.
A Personal Feud With Political Implications
Williams’ intervention has transformed the renewed debate over Tinubu’s academic history into a public confrontation involving friendship, loyalty, political allegiance and competing accounts of past relationships.
While Pearse has questioned the President’s educational claims, Williams has accused him of ingratitude and challenged his credibility, relying partly on his personal relationship with both men.
The professor’s claim that he introduced Pearse to Tinubu, coupled with his assertion that he knows what the President did for his former friend, has become central to his argument.
His warning about undisclosed secrets has also ensured that the disagreement extends beyond the original question of Tinubu’s university attendance.
With political activities already gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, the renewed controversy is likely to attract further reactions from political figures and supporters on both sides.
For now, Williams has delivered a blunt message to Pearse: he believes the former lecturer has gone too far in his attacks on Tinubu, and he is warning that his silence should not be mistaken for a lack of knowledge.