Explain Missing School Records in INEC Form — Buhari’s Ex-Minister Challenges Tinubu

Former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has called on President Bola Tinubu to explain why the sections for his primary and secondary school qualifications were left blank in the personal particulars submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 presidential election.

Dalung made the demand in a post on his verified X account on Saturday after reviewing the nomination documents published by INEC.

According to the former minister, his comments were based solely on the documents released by the electoral commission and should not be interpreted as an accusation against the President.

“I just read the published particulars of presidential candidates released by INEC for the 2027 election, and one thing immediately caught my attention,” Dalung wrote.

He observed that Tinubu listed only his university qualification while the spaces provided for his primary and secondary school education were left blank.

Dalung said the omission raises legitimate questions that deserve clarification, stressing that transparency is essential for building public confidence in elected leaders.

“If there is a perfectly reasonable explanation, Nigerians deserve to hear it. Public office, especially the presidency, is built on public trust. Trust flourishes where there is openness, not ambiguity,” he stated.

The former minister argued that the same level of accountability expected from other political office seekers should also apply to the incumbent president.

He emphasised that the issue was not whether Tinubu attended primary or secondary school, but whether public officials should provide complete disclosures in official documents submitted to the electoral commission.

Dalung added that openness remains the best way to address public concerns, warning that silence often fuels speculation.

“The same standard applied to every other candidate should apply to the incumbent President. No more, no less.

“The easiest way to put every question to rest is transparency. Silence rarely ends speculation; openness usually does,” he said.

The comments followed the publication of presidential candidates’ personal particulars by INEC on Saturday.

A review of Tinubu’s EC9 nomination form showed that he listed a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration obtained from Chicago State University in 1979 as his educational qualification but left blank the sections designated for his primary and secondary school education.

However, the President attached copies of his Chicago State University degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate as supporting documents submitted to the electoral commission.