The Independent National Electoral Commission began displaying the credentials of presidential candidates for the 2027 general election on Saturday, with President Bola Tinubu’s Form EC9 attracting attention over the omission of his primary and secondary school details.
The exercise is in line with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires the electoral body to publish the personal particulars and academic credentials of candidates within 21 days of receiving their nomination forms.
Tinubu’s Form EC9 shows no primary, secondary school records
A review of Tinubu’s Form EC9 shows that while his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University in the United States was listed, the sections for his primary and secondary school education were marked as “0000,” with no years of attendance indicated.
The form states that Tinubu obtained his university degree with honors on June 22, 1979, according to the transcript submitted alongside his nomination documents.
Also attached to the president’s submission is his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate, showing that he served in Oyo State from December 1982 before completing the program in November 1983.
His employment history, as contained in the form, lists Mobil Nigeria Limited, where he worked between 1983 and 1992 before leaving for what was described as “advancement.” It also records his tenure as governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, ending after the “legal end of tenure,” and his current position with the Federal Government of Nigeria, beginning in 2023.
Tinubu’s personal information on the form lists his date of birth as March 29, 1952, his birthplace as Lagos, his residential address as No. 4 Queen’s Drive, Ikoyi, and his occupation as “politician.”
Shettima’s educational history detailed
In contrast, the documents submitted by Vice President Kashim Shettima provide a detailed educational history beginning from primary school.
His Certificate of Primary Education, issued by the Ministry of Education of the former North-Eastern State, shows he attended Lamisula I Primary School between 1972 and 1978. The certificate indicates he graduated second in a class of 22 pupils, with English, History and Religious Knowledge among his strongest subjects.
His West African Examinations Council certificate shows he completed his secondary education at Government Secondary School, Potiskum, in June 1983, earning six credits and passes, including distinctions in Religious Knowledge and Economics.
Shettima’s academic records further show that he obtained a Second Class Upper Division degree in Agriculture from the University of Maiduguri in August 1989 before proceeding to the University of Ibadan, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics.
His NYSC discharge certificate indicates he served between October 1989 and October 1990.
Public access and legal challenges
In a statement accompanying the exercise, INEC explained that Form EC9 contains the credentials, personal particulars and affidavits submitted by candidates sponsored by political parties.
“Form EC9 contains the credentials, personal particulars and affidavits submitted by candidates sponsored by political parties,” the commission stated.
The documents are being displayed at INEC offices across the country, including the commission’s Lagos State office in Sabo-Yaba and Local Government Area offices in relevant constituencies.
Under the Electoral Act, members of the public are entitled to apply for Certified True Copies of nomination forms and other documents submitted by candidates. The law also allows interested parties to challenge any alleged false declaration or forgery through the courts.
Election timeline
Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to commence on August 19, while campaigns for governorship and state assembly elections will begin later in accordance with INEC’s revised election timetable.
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