NDC Calls on INEC to Clarify Tinubu’s Missing Education Details
The publication of President Bola Tinubu’s nomination documents for the 2027 presidential election has revived discussions about his educational history. The forms show no entries for his primary or secondary school qualifications, while only a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University is listed.
Tinubu attached copies of his university degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps certificate to the submission, but the spaces for basic education remained blank. This omission has drawn criticism from opposition parties, which insist that both the president and INEC provide explanations.
In the form, Tinubu stated he was born in Lagos on March 29, 1952, and described his occupation as “Politician.” He listed Mobil Nigeria Limited as his employer from 1983 to 1992, noted his tenure as Governor of Lagos State (1999‑2007), and identified the Federal Government of Nigeria as his current employer since 2023. He also declared that he has never been dismissed from public service.
NDC Spokesperson’s Reaction
Osa Director, National Publicity Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), told Punch that the controversy is disappointing but emphasized that the opposition cannot answer why the qualifications were omitted.
Director said, “It is so disappointing that this is what we are talking about. Again, I believe that we are just raising this question for academic purposes. We don’t know the answer to our question. That is, those certificates are not there. So, it is what it is.”
He urged that the question be directed to the president and his aides, not to the opposition, and stressed that Nigerians deserve to know why the primary and secondary school sections were left blank, noting that university education normally follows basic schooling.
“Let them tell us why the President’s secondary school and primary school certificates are not there. We all know that you cannot graduate from university without attending basic school. They should be able to tell us what happened to them,” Director added.
Concerns About Form Acceptance by INEC
Director also questioned how INEC accepted a nomination form with incomplete mandatory fields. He compared the process to online applications that block submission when required information is missing.
“Because when you fill out forms online and try to submit, it will reject your submission, saying you have not completed filling in all the necessary information. So, I am surprised that this form went through INEC, knowing it was not filled,” he remarked.
The opposition spokesman urged INEC to clarify whether details of primary and secondary education were compulsory on the form. He nevertheless commended the commission for publishing the documents, allowing public scrutiny of the gaps.
Director concluded, “INEC also has a question to answer by accepting that form when the information was incomplete, though we also have to commend them for having the guts to publish it for all Nigerians to see the gaps. So, over to the President.”
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