NNPP Advises Critics to Pursue Legal Route on Tinubu’s Qualifications
The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Major Agbo, has urged Nigerians who question President Bola Tinubu’s declared educational qualifications to seek clarification through the judiciary rather than engaging in endless public debate.
Speaking to Punch, Agbo explained that Nigerian law sets the minimum educational requirement for a presidential candidate at the secondary school level — whether GCE, SSCE or an equivalent qualification. He noted that any certificate meeting or exceeding that standard is legally acceptable.
According to Agbo, Tinubu’s submission of a degree certificate from Chicago State University falls within the provisions governing eligibility for elective office. He emphasized that the law permits candidates to present any qualification that is not below the prescribed secondary school standard.
“The truth is that the position of the law states that the minimum qualification is secondary school, that is either GCE, SSCE or whatever they call it. The implication is that a candidate can declare any certificate beginning from First School Leaving Certificate to WAEC.”
Agbo maintained that individuals who remain uncertain about the President’s primary and secondary education should file a case before a competent court. He criticized the tendency to settle such matters in the “court of public opinion,” arguing that it yields no binding resolution.
“For how long shall we continue to put our public officers through the court of public opinion? Again, how has that helped us in the past?” he asked, urging citizens to rely on the judiciary for definitive answers.
He reminded Nigerians that every citizen possesses the constitutional right to challenge the credentials of any leader or aspirant, but stressed that such challenges must be pursued through legal channels.
Agbo concluded by calling on critics of Tinubu’s nomination documents to stop the endless commentary and instead seek a judicial interpretation, asserting that only the courts can provide the clarity the nation needs.
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