Former Senate Leader and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ali Ndume, has urged opposition parties to shift their focus from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic credentials and instead campaign on policies, governance and performance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Ndume made the call in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja on Monday, as political parties intensify preparations for the presidential poll.
The Borno South senator said continued focus on Tinubu’s educational history would distract opposition parties from presenting Nigerians with credible alternatives to the administration’s policies.
Some opposition figures have recently questioned aspects of Tinubu’s educational history, particularly the absence of primary and secondary school qualifications in the EC9 form submitted ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu listed a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University, United States, obtained in 1979, and submitted copies of his degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates with his nomination documents.
Ndume dismissed the controversy, arguing that Tinubu had met the constitutional requirements for contesting the presidency.
He cited Section 131(d) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires a presidential candidate to be “educated up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent.”
According to Ndume, the provision establishes a minimum educational threshold and does not stipulate that possession or submission of a secondary school certificate is the only means of satisfying the requirement.
He also noted that Tinubu’s eligibility had been extensively challenged in court following the 2023 presidential election.
Ndume argued that, after more than three years in office, Tinubu should be judged primarily by his record and performance in government rather than questions surrounding his qualifications.
“The narrative around his certificate, in my opinion, is distracting,” Ndume said.
He challenged opposition presidential candidates and their spokespersons to explain how their proposed policies would improve the lives of Nigerians.
“What opposition parties’ presidential candidates and their spokespersons should focus on are their alternative economic policies, if they have any.
“What can they do better than President Tinubu? They should come out and tell Nigerians.
“It is his economic policies and how his administration has been able to tackle insecurity with landmark success that they should try and interrogate,” he said.
The senator urged opposition parties to broaden the political debate ahead of the 2027 election, stressing that Nigerians deserved concrete proposals rather than personal attacks.
“He has been in office for over three years now. So, how can the narrative around his certificates be the focus of his challengers?
“I think as we progress in the campaigns, the opposition should elevate the discourse beyond the mundane,” he said.
Ndume concluded by quoting former United States First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
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