By Jelili Gbadamosi
Monday Ubani, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has said the 1999 Constitution does not compel President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any presidential candidate to submit primary and secondary school certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of the nomination process.
Ubani stated this on Wednesday during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, monitored by DAILY POST, amid renewed debate over the educational credentials submitted by President Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
The controversy followed allegations by former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, that Tinubu omitted his primary and secondary school certificates from the documents submitted to INEC.
Reacting to the development, Ubani insisted the matter should be viewed strictly from a constitutional and legal standpoint rather than through public opinion.
“It is about the law, not about sentiment or bias,” he said.
Citing Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution, the senior lawyer explained that the law only requires a presidential candidate to have attained education up to school certificate level or its equivalent and does not expressly mandate the submission of primary or secondary school certificates.
“The Constitution says that whoever seeks the office of the President must show that he has attained education up to school certificate level. There is no legal compulsion to produce or submit the certificate itself,” he said.
Ubani added that previous judicial decisions had affirmed that candidates are only required to demonstrate they attained the prescribed educational level, not necessarily present the certificates.
He argued that possession of a university degree ordinarily presumes that the holder completed primary and secondary education.
The SAN, however, acknowledged that while the omission may not amount to a legal breach, it raises issues of transparency.
“I agree that, ordinarily, anyone submitting credentials should also present evidence of primary and secondary school certificates. Those are issues of transparency,” he said.
Speaking on INEC’s role, Ubani maintained that the electoral body acted within the law by publishing the documents submitted by candidates without verifying their authenticity, adding that disputes over educational qualifications are pre-election matters that must be challenged within the time allowed by law.
He also commented on concerns over variations in the academic records of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, saying discrepancies in names are not necessarily proof of wrongdoing but should be properly explained and supported by official documentation.
