Two CSU ‘Classmates’: Tinubu and Zingman’s Troubling Criminal Footprint in Africa

A growing controversy has yet again engulfed Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Belarusian businessman, Alexander Zingman, after he introduced Zingman as his former classmate at Chicago State University while speaking at the launch of the Renewed Hope Agriculture Mechanisation Programme. 

However, records show that Zingman didn’t attend Chicago State University but the University of Illinois at Chicago. Following this declaration, African observers raised concerns over their alleged criminal connection and past records. 

In recent years, they have been recognised for their respective roles in high-profile scandals that cross international borders and tap into Africa’s most persistent issues: corruption, arms/drug trafficking, and political violence.

Zingman’s Opaque Dealings and Belarusian Network

Zingman’s emergence in Nigeria is closely tied to a growing Belarusian diplomatic and commercial presence. Just 11 months before his activities became public, Tinubu’s wife, Oluremi Tinubu, met with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus. The meeting celebrated scholarships awarded to 20 Nigerian students under the Renewed Hope Initiative, a programme championed by the First Lady.

Behind this seemingly benevolent gesture, deeper geopolitical and commercial interests are at play. Lukashenko urged Oluremi to request that President Tinubu facilitate a visit from Belarus’s foreign minister to Nigeria, aiming to strengthen collaboration in agriculture, food processing, industry, and education.

Amid this diplomatic engagement, Tinubu controversially awarded a $70 million contract to a ‘foreign company’ to supply 2,000 tractors, drawing outrage from local manufacturers who condemned the move as a violation of Tinubu’s own “Nigeria first policy.” Investigations suggest that Zingman’s Belarusian network played a significant role in brokering or benefiting from this contract, raising questions about transparency and local economic impact.

Zingman’s Arrest in the DRC

In March 2021, Alexander Zingman was arrested by authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on suspicion of involvement in illegal arms deals. According to reports from Daily Maverick and International Watchdogs, Zingman was detained in Kinshasa alongside his business associate Oleg Vodchits. The pair was suspected of facilitating arms transactions in conflict zones, including in Sudan and Mozambique.

Though released without formal charges after two weeks, Zingman’s reputation as a shadowy middleman in Eastern Europe and African weapons deals has continued to grow. He has been identified as the honorary consul of Belarus in Zimbabwe and is allegedly associated with close ties to the African strongmen network.

Tinubu’s Controversial Past Resurfaces

President Tinubu has long claimed to be a graduate of CSU, a credential that helped bolster his political image. However, the academic record has since been subjected to intense scrutiny. In 2023, following a U.S. court order, CSU released records that confirmed discrepancies in Tinubu’s name, gender, and credentials.

Adding fuel to the fire,  Tinubu introduced Zingman as his classmate, an association that many now say ties the Nigerian leader directly to an individual previously detained over arms trafficking.

Further complicating Tinubu’s legacy are resurfaced reports, from West Africa Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief David Hundeyin, linking him to a 1993 U.S. court forfeiture of $460,000, derived from narcotics proceeds. Though Tinubu was not criminally indicted, the civil case and money trail have cast a long shadow over his political career domestically and abroad.

Shared Controversies

What unites both men beyond the headlines is Tinubu’s claim that “Alex was my very good neighbour, and went to the same school with me in Chicago.” Even though Alex would have been only 13 years old at the time, as records show Zingman was born in 1966, a timeline that contradicts Tinubu’s claim of graduating from  Chicago State University in 1979. CSU, an institution now facing unwanted attention due to the profile and behaviour of some most well-known supposed alumni.

Public distrust has spilt over into online discourse, with many Nigerians and other Africans questioning how individuals with such checkered pasts could claim academic legitimacy from a U.S. university.

Tinubu and Zingman might not share a business, but their stories raise similar concerns of corruption, impunity, and the export of elite criminality into Africa.

Institutional Silence and Regional Fallout

Chicago State University has not commented on Tinubu’s controversial alumni status, citing U.S. privacy laws. Still, CSU’s name continues to appear in African and diaspora media as public confidence in certain institutions and leaders erodes.

For many Africans, especially Nigerians, the scandal is not just about two men; it’s about the unchecked rise of foreign-educated elites whose paths to power are paved by false credentials, murky money, and dangerous global alliances.

As President Tinubu faces increasing domestic pressure over insecurity, economic collapse, and credibility concerns, the reemergence of his ties to Zingman may deepen public concern. Meanwhile, Zingman remains under the radar, with his business interests in Africa reportedly still active.

What is clear is that the connections between power, education, and transnational criminality are now under closer watch than ever, especially when two men at the centre of the controversy claim to have past ties.

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