Professor Ezekiel Olusola Ayoola, a former head of the Department of Mathematics, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, has explained why Aminu Othman Zubairu, a former lecturer of the university who died last week under circumstances suspected to be suicide, spent more than two decades on his PhD programme without completing it.

According to Ayoola, when the PhD work of Zubairu dragged on for many years, the postgraduate committee asked him questions. He said Zubairu exonerated his supervisor, putting the blame on himself for his dissatisfaction with the level of results he had obtained.

He also described Zubairu as “a kind of perfectionist who possibly was eyeing some mathematics laureate at the doctoral level".

Ayoola made the comments on Monday after Samuel Edet, an alumnus of the department, put up a Facebook post blaming the institution for Zubairu’s PhD travails.

“I knew Aminu Othman Zubairu, he was my algebraic topology lecturer. There is no question as to the depth of his understanding of his field. He was an astounding teacher, a good examiner, a good-hearted easy-going man, and one you can reliably have a conversation with,” Edet had written.

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