The Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, has challenged Vice-President Kashim Shettima to explain an alleged discrepancy in President Bola Tinubu’s educational records after he criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his attendance at the Kano School of Hygiene.

Shaibu said Shettima should address questions surrounding Tinubu’s educational history instead of mocking Atiku’s academic background, arguing that the vice-president’s remarks ignored the economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians.

In a statement dated October 26, 2026, Shaibu criticised Shettima’s comments at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, where the vice-president reportedly attacked Atiku over his education.

He questioned what was shameful about Atiku attending the Kano School of Hygiene, noting that millions of Nigerians had pursued education through institutions they could afford before building careers.

“If Shettima wants to examine school records, he should begin with the man he serves,” Shaibu said.

He alleged that a document contained in Tinubu’s Chicago State University records listed him as having graduated from Government College Lagos in 1970, four years before the school was established in 1974.

Shaibu challenged Shettima to explain the alleged discrepancy, contrasting it with Atiku’s attendance at an institution that existed during his period of study.

He also raised questions about the name on a National Youth Service Corps certificate Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

According to Shaibu, the certificate bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, which he said Atiku had challenged in court.

The ADC campaign official further referred to Tinubu’s Chicago State University records and the documented 1993 forfeiture in Chicago arising from a narcotics investigation, arguing that questions surrounding the president’s records should be addressed rather than dismissed.

The allegations form part of the political dispute between supporters of the Tinubu administration and opposition figures. Shaibu’s statement did not include a response from Shettima or the presidency to the specific claims.

Beyond the dispute over educational records, Shaibu accused the administration of failing to address the rising cost of living, particularly the difficulties Nigerians face in paying for food, transportation and fuel.

He cited World Bank poverty estimates and figures on acute food insecurity to argue that economic hardship was already affecting households across the country.

“A parent choosing between transport to work and food for the children does not need Shettima to explain penury,” he said.

Shaibu also defended Atiku’s proposal for a targeted and capped subsidy tied to petrol refined in Nigeria, with independent auditing to monitor its implementation.

He challenged the vice-president to provide figures showing why the proposal would be impractical and present an alternative capable of reducing the burden of fuel prices on households.

According to him, exchanges over politicians’ educational backgrounds would do little to ease the financial difficulties confronting ordinary Nigerians.

Shaibu maintained that Atiku had no reason to be ashamed of his educational journey, arguing that the vice-president’s criticism was misplaced at a time when many families were struggling to afford basic necessities.

He concluded by describing Tinubu’s election in 2023 as a mistake that Nigerians should correct at the ballot box, predicting that the administration would face opposition in the 2027 general election.

The statement was signed by Shaibu in his capacity as Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council on October 26, 2026.