Ndume urges opposition to drop Tinubu certificate debate, focus on governance

By Musa Baba Adamu

Former Senate Leader and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Senator Ali Ndume, has urged opposition parties to stop dwelling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic credentials and concentrate instead on his policies and performance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Ndume, in a statement issued on Monday, described the renewed controversy over Tinubu’s academic qualifications as a distraction from the substantive issues that should shape the election.

The debate resurfaced after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the academic qualifications submitted by the 19 presidential candidates and their running mates for the election.

Some opposition figures subsequently questioned aspects of Tinubu’s educational credentials, including the absence of a secondary school certificate among the documents listed.

Ndume, however, argued that the President has satisfied the constitutional requirements for contesting the presidency.

He cited Section 131(d) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that a presidential candidate must have been educated to at least school certificate level or its equivalent.

According to the senator, the Constitution establishes an educational threshold but does not prescribe that only a specific secondary school certificate can be used to demonstrate compliance.

He stated: “The Constitution only establishes a minimum educational threshold, but it does not insist on the particularity of a secondary school certificate as the only means by which that threshold can be met.”

Ndume further argued that questions surrounding Tinubu’s eligibility had already been subjected to litigation following the 2023 presidential election.

He therefore advised opposition parties to redirect their attention towards issues that directly affect voters, particularly the administration’s policies, programmes and performance.

“The narrative around his certificate, in my opinion, is distracting,” Ndume said.

His position comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 election, with Tinubu seeking another term amid growing opposition efforts to challenge the APC’s dominance at the federal level.