Isaac Samuel
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu listed only his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in the educational qualifications section of the EC9 nomination form submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 presidential election, leaving the spaces provided for his primary and secondary school qualifications blank.
The details are contained in the personal particulars and supporting documents published by INEC on Saturday in accordance with its revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election.
A review of the documents by this medium shows that Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), listed a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Business Administration obtained from Chicago State University, United States, in 1979 as his educational qualification.
While the spaces for primary and secondary school qualifications on the summary page of the EC9 form were left blank, the President attached copies of his university degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate among the supporting documents submitted to the electoral umpire.
The documents show that Tinubu was born on March 29, 1952, in Lagos and described his occupation as “Politician.”
He also provided details of his employment history, stating that he worked with Mobil Nigeria Limited between 1983 and 1992 before serving as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007. He listed the Federal Government of Nigeria as his current employer, indicating that he has served since 2023 and remains in office.
Tinubu further declared that he had never been dismissed from the public service of the Federation, a state, local government or area council.
In contrast, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Gregory Obi, listed his educational history from primary school to university.
Obi stated that he attended St. Augustine’s Primary School, Anambra, where he completed his primary education in 1973, before proceeding to Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha, where he obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1978.
He also declared that he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Philosophy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1984, while the attached certificate shows he graduated with Second Class Honours (Lower Division).
The former Anambra State governor described his occupation as “Public Servant” and left the section provided for previous working experience blank. He equally declared that he had never been dismissed from the public service.
For his part, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, identified himself as a “Businessman” in his nomination papers.
The former Vice President listed his educational qualifications as First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC), West African School Certificate (WASC) and Master of Arts (M.A.) in International Relations, which he indicated was obtained in 2020.
Unlike Obi, Atiku provided details of his work history, stating that he served in the Nigerian Customs Service from 1969 to 1989, leaving through voluntary retirement. .
He also listed the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as his place of employment from 1999 to 2007, indicating that he left office after completing two terms as Vice President.
He also declared that he had never been dismissed from the public service.
The publication of the documents marks the commencement of the statutory period for public scrutiny of candidates’ personal particulars and supporting documents ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
Under Section 33 of the Electoral Act, any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that information contained in a candidate’s affidavit or accompanying documents is false may institute an action before a court challenging the declaration with credible evidence.
