A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oluremi Omowaiye, has given Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Adetokunbo Pearse seven days to retract his comments questioning President Bola Tinubu’s academic qualifications or face legal action.
Omowaiye, the Executive Director (Project Implementation) at the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), issued the ultimatum in a statement reacting to Pearse’s recent television interview, during which he questioned whether Tinubu attended Chicago State University (CSU) and made disparaging remarks about the President.
He said Pearse should apologise publicly and retract his comments, warning that failure to do so within seven days would prompt him to institute legal proceedings.
Omowaiye, who said he was speaking as a citizen and taxpayer rather than in his capacity as a government appointee, described the comments as unacceptable and called for responsible political discourse.
He also said he had prepared a petition to submit to the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) if Pearse failed to retract his remarks.
The APC chieftain further demanded that Pearse publish an apology in at least seven national newspapers and major broadcast outlets.
Omowaiye said the controversy had affected his family, recounting how his teenage daughter contacted him after seeing the interview online to ask whether the President had attended university and forged his academic certificate.
He maintained that Tinubu’s academic credentials had been examined during legal proceedings in Nigeria and the United States.
According to him, Chicago State University’s Registrar, Caleb Westberg, testified under oath in October 2023 during proceedings initiated by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, confirming that Tinubu attended the institution from August 1977 to June 1979.
He said the university’s records showed that Tinubu graduated on June 22, 1979, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting.
Omowaiye also argued that Pearse’s claim to have served as director of the programme Tinubu attended at the university was inconsistent with the dates of their respective stays at the institution.
He noted that Tinubu graduated in 1979, while Pearse reportedly lectured at the university between 1985 and 1990.
The FHA director also questioned Pearse’s expertise on Tinubu’s academic programme, citing his educational background in English and Contemporary African Literature.
Omowaiye urged opposition figures to focus on evidence-based criticism and substantive issues ahead of future elections, rather than making claims he said institutional records could not support.
Follow the OSUNDOTLIFE channel on WhatsAppKindly share this story | All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from OSUNDOTLIFE.
Contact: editor@osun.life
WhatsApp: 📲 +2348092333666