2027: Why Tinubu’s Missing Primary, Secondary Qualifications Not a Big Deal — Saka

Public policy analyst Deyemi Saka has dismissed concerns surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s decision to omit details of his primary and secondary school education from the educational qualifications section of his nomination papers for the 2027 presidential election.

Saka made the remarks during an appearance on Arise Television on Sunday while reacting to the nomination documents recently published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The controversy began after INEC released the personal particulars of presidential candidates, showing that Tinubu listed only his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration obtained from Chicago State University in 1979. The sections designated for his primary and secondary school qualifications were left blank.

The omission has generated public debate, with critics questioning why the President did not include details of his earlier educational history in the EC9 nomination form.

However, Saka argued that the issue should not overshadow more pressing national concerns, insisting that Tinubu had already satisfied the constitutional requirements for contesting the presidency.

According to him, the authenticity of the President’s university certificate has been scrutinised in the past and confirmed to be genuine, making further controversy over omitted school records unnecessary.

“The certificate has been questioned and has been ascertained to be real and not fake. He has fulfilled all constitutional requirements and I think we should move on. There are better topics to pick up with the president,” Saka said.

INEC commenced the publication of the nomination papers of presidential and vice-presidential candidates on Saturday in line with its revised timetable and schedule of activities for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

As part of his submission, Tinubu attached copies of his Chicago State University degree certificate and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate as supporting documents.

The President also stated in the form that he was born on March 29, 1952, in Lagos and identified his occupation as a politician.

His employment history included his time at Mobil Nigeria Limited, his two-term tenure as Governor of Lagos State, and his current position as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The publication of the nomination documents has continued to attract public attention, with supporters and critics offering differing interpretations of the information contained in the forms submitted to INEC.