We only published what APC submitted — INEC explains missing Tinubu school certificates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why President Bola Tinubu’s primary and secondary school certificates were not included among the credentials published for presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.

A senior INEC official, who spoke anonymously to Sunday PUNCH, said the commission only published documents submitted by the candidates and had no authority to question or alter the credentials presented to it.

“We only published what was submitted to the commission. We don’t have any authority to question those ones. I mean, our own is just to publish so that anybody who has an objection can raise issues with what we’ve published,” the official said.

The clarification followed reactions after INEC published the credentials of presidential candidates, with Tinubu’s primary and secondary school certificates absent from the documents released to the public.

The official explained that the publication was also designed to give members of the public an opportunity to scrutinise the documents and raise objections where necessary.

Meanwhile, a legal counsel and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kalu Agu, reportedly submitted a petition against Tinubu to the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday.

Agu alleged that Tinubu submitted false academic credentials to INEC and failed to disclose the primary and secondary schools he attended as part of the requirements for the 2027 presidential election.

A video shared on X by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Paul Ibe, purportedly showed Agu submitting the petition.

Agu called on the European Union to intervene over what he described as an alleged subversion of Nigeria’s constitutional order.

The allegations have not been established by a court.

Atiku Challenges Tinubu’s Eligibility

Also on Friday, Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the ADC, approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking Tinubu’s disqualification from the 2027 presidential election over an alleged forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

Atiku personally appeared at the registry of the Federal High Court in Abuja to depose to an affidavit supporting the suit against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC.

The suit cites Sections 137(1)(j), 139(1)(a)(i) and 285(14)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

Section 137(1)(j) provides that a person is not qualified for election as President if he has presented a forged certificate to INEC.

Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to determine whether Tinubu should be disqualified over the allegation that he submitted a forged NYSC certificate in connection with his presidential candidacy.

According to Atiku’s affidavit, the NYSC discharge certificate allegedly submitted to INEC bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, rather than the President’s name, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The plaintiffs are also seeking an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election if the allegations are established.

Atiku argued that certificates presented by political candidates should be subjected to the same level of scrutiny applicable to other Nigerians.

“The Presidency is not an immunity certificate against constitutional scrutiny,” he said.

He also called on INEC to demonstrate its neutrality by producing the relevant electoral records.