Tinubu, Atiku, Obi: Presidential Candidates Who Omit Pry, Sec School Certificates
- INEC displayed the personal particulars of 2027 presidential and national assembly candidates at local government offices across Nigeria
- Tinubu's submission again excluded his primary and secondary school details, repeating what he submitted ahead of the 2023 presidential election
- Peter Obi listed all academic qualifications from primary school to university, while Atiku and Sowore also left gaps in their submissions
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the personal particulars of candidates running in the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, with documents displayed at INEC offices in local government headquarters across the country.
The published records cover candidates' full names, gender, residential addresses, educational qualifications, and work experience. Under Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC is required to publish these particulars within 21 days of receiving them from candidates. Vice-presidential candidates' details were also included.
The three main presidential contenders are President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Bola Tinubu
Tinubu's submission does not include any details of primary or secondary schooling. He listed only his university qualification, noting that he obtained a BSc degree in 1979, and attached his certificate from Chicago State University (CSU). This mirrors what he submitted to INEC ahead of the 2023 presidential election, when he also left his earlier schooling blank. The CSU certificate drew public scrutiny during that election cycle, with allegations that the person who attended the university was not the current Nigerian president.
Peter Obi
Unlike Tinubu, Obi provided a full academic record. The former Anambra State governor said he completed primary school at Augustine's Primary School, Anambra, in 1973, and finished secondary education at Christ the King College in 1978. He listed the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as his university, indicating he graduated in 1984, and attached certificates for all three levels of education.
Atiku Abubakar
Atiku's particulars show that he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1954 and his West African School Certificate in 1961, but he did not name the schools he attended nor attach those certificates. He did, however, include his Master of Arts degree in International Relations, earned in 2020 from Anglia Ruskin University in England.
Omoyele Sowore
Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) indicated that he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1980 and his West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate in 1987. He did not name his primary or secondary schools. His submission also contains no reference to a first degree, though he attached evidence of a master's degree obtained from Columbia University in 2003.
Source: Legit.ng
