Tinubu’s School Certificate: APC, ADC trade words over constitutional requirement
A war of words broke out between members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Channels Television on Monday night over President Bola Tinubu’s educational credentials and the constitutional requirements for elective office.
The disagreement followed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) public display of the personal particulars and academic credentials of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.
Copies of Tinubu’s Form EC9 showed that he presented a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University in the United States.
His academic transcript indicated that the degree was awarded “with honours” on June 22, 1979. The documents also included his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate, showing that he served in Oyo State from December 1982 before being demobilised in November 1983.
However, details of the primary and secondary schools attended by the President were not displayed in the documents published by the electoral commission, prompting renewed controversy.
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, August 3, ADC chieftain Kalu Kalu challenged Tinubu to disclose the names of the primary and secondary schools he attended.
However, APC member Alwan Hassan defended the President, arguing that the Nigerian Constitution does not specifically require a candidate to present certificates from particular primary or secondary schools.
Hassan maintained that the constitutional requirement is possession of a “school certificate” or its equivalent.
According to him, the equivalent of a school certificate includes the ability to read and write.
The disagreement has further intensified the political debate surrounding the educational qualifications of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition figures questioning the documentation submitted by Tinubu and APC members insisting that the President meets the constitutional requirements for the office.
