By Lizzy Chirkpi
The publication of President Bola Tinubu’s personal particulars and nomination documents by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday has reignited public debate over his educational history, following the omission of primary and secondary school details from his 2027 presidential nomination forms.
The documents, displayed by the electoral commission and sighted by Pointblanknews.com, show that Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
According to the forms, Tinubu’s date of birth is listed as March 29, 1952, while Lagos is identified as his place of birth. His occupation is stated as “Politician,” and his residential address is given as No. 4, Queens Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Public attention, however, quickly shifted to the section titled “Schools Attended/Educational Qualifications with Dates.” The only academic qualification listed is a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree obtained in 1979. The sections designated for primary and secondary education were left blank, while the corresponding year fields were marked “0000.”
Also attached to the nomination documents is a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate of National Service indicating that Bola Ahmed Tinubu completed the mandatory national service between July 1982 and June 1983.
The documents further state that Tinubu worked with Mobil Nigeria Limited between 1983 and 1992, served in the Lagos State Government from 1999 to 2007, and has been with the Federal Government since 2023.
The publication immediately generated widespread reactions on social media, with supporters arguing that the documents satisfy constitutional requirements for contesting the presidency, while critics questioned the absence of details relating to his primary and secondary education and raised concerns about previous declarations.
An X user, @Oludamolala, wrote:
“No record of primary school. No record of secondary school. Graduated from Chicago State University. Worked as an accountant with Mobil. Has he broken any rule? Capital NO. A mystery. Bola Tinubu is a textbook that needs to be studied.”
Another user, @exceleg, questioned the consistency of previous filings, saying:
“What about the discrepancies in the schools he listed in previous filings? Which record is correct? If incorrect information was submitted before, was that a rules violation? History matters because past behavior can provide context for evaluating present actions.”
Similarly, @omodalamola posted:
“Go and ask Chicago State University how he was able to obtain Bachelor degree from them.”
Others expressed stronger criticism.
@Dekezmab01 wrote:
“Everything screams fraud. Who attends a university without primary and secondary school education.”
While @Tosky2008 commented:
“These certificates look fake as hell, especially the NYSC certificate.”
Another user, @victor_vianney, added:
“How are people supporting a man who can’t state the schools he attended? You will not hire such a character to manage your business, but here you are standing on a dubious mandate.”
Tinubu’s educational records have remained one of the most debated aspects of his political career. The issue drew international attention ahead of the 2023 presidential election following litigation in the United States involving records from Chicago State University and recurring legal and political disputes over his academic credentials.
The latest publication by INEC has once again brought the matter into the public spotlight.
However, the publication of the nomination documents does not, in itself, affect Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the presidential election.
Under Section 131 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), a presidential candidate must be a Nigerian by birth, be at least 35 years old, belong to and be sponsored by a political party, and possess at least a School Certificate or its equivalent.
The Constitution does not expressly require a presidential candidate to list the names of primary or secondary schools attended on the nomination form.
In addition, Section 29 of the Electoral Act, 2022, allows any person who believes that information or documents submitted by a candidate are false to challenge them in court within the period prescribed by law.
Consequently, questions regarding the authenticity, accuracy or consistency of a candidate’s educational records remain matters for judicial determination rather than public opinion.
While INEC’s publication has revived political controversy and renewed scrutiny of President Tinubu’s educational history, the documents, on their own, do not render the APC presidential candidate constitutionally ineligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.