Ali Ndume, former Senate Leader and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has challenged opposition parties and their presidential candidates to stop dwelling on President Bola Tinubu’s academic credentials and instead present Nigerians with credible alternatives ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Ndume, who represents Borno South, said on Monday that the opposition should focus its campaigns on the economy, security and other issues affecting Nigerians, rather than making Tinubu’s certificate the centre of political debate.
‘The narrative around his certificate, in my opinion, is distracting,’ Ndume said in a statement on Monday.
The controversy over Tinubu’s academic credentials resurfaced ahead of the 2023 election, with questions raised over his educational records and the certificate he submitted to INEC.
The issue intensified after a legal battle involving Chicago State University, where Tinubu graduated in 1979. The controversy has now returned to the political spotlight ahead of the 2027 election, with opposition figures again questioning his credentials.
However, Ndume urged opposition presidential candidates to explain what they would do differently if elected, saying, ‘What can they do better than President Tinubu? They should come out and tell Nigerians.’
Ndume argued that Tinubu had satisfied the constitutional requirement for presidential qualification, noting that the Constitution does not make possession of a secondary school certificate the only route to meeting the minimum educational threshold.
‘The Constitution only establishes a minimum educational threshold,’ he said. The APC chieftain also urged the opposition to scrutinise Tinubu’s economic policies and record on insecurity.
‘He has been in office for over three years now. So, how can the narrative around his certificates be the focus of his challengers?’ Ndume asked. He called for political debate ‘beyond the mundane’ as campaigns have begun.