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The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has backed calls for greater scrutiny of President Bola Tinubu’s educational history ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying the focus should be on the consistency of the account surrounding his schooling rather than certificates alone.
The ACF Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Mohammed Baba, made the position known during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday.
Baba said Nigerians were entitled to examine the backgrounds of politicians seeking the country’s highest office, arguing that candidates should be able to provide clear and consistent accounts of their educational journeys.
“The certificate is not as important as the story itself. It has to be consistent. If it is not, there is a problem,” he said.
According to him, the controversy should not be limited to whether a candidate possesses a particular certificate but should also consider how the person attained the educational qualifications being claimed.
“Are the certificate stories exaggerated? Yeah. But what of the schooling? What have you done to get to that level? And I think Nigerians are entitled to ask questions about that,” he said.
The ACF spokesman said anyone seeking the presidency should expect their background to come under public examination because of the responsibilities attached to the office.
“Whoever should lead us should have a clear history, devoid of ambiguities, devoid of doubts, and so on,” Baba said.
He maintained that questions about educational records could also form part of broader discussions about integrity and accountability in public life.
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Baba criticised situations where accounts of a candidate’s educational background allegedly change over time, saying Nigerians should be given sufficient clarity.
“If the primary and secondary schools are not there, let’s know why, and let’s not have stories that keep changing with the weather like the English weather,” he said.
Despite backing scrutiny of candidates’ backgrounds, Baba said most Nigerians were ultimately more interested in the quality of governance and how government policies affect their daily lives.
He said issues such as healthcare, education, housing, transportation, security and household welfare were more important to the average voter than the academic qualifications of the person occupying the presidency.
“The average person in the street is probably mesmerised about all this. What matters to them is the effect of good governance,” he said.
Baba added that Nigerians wanted to know whether government could improve their living conditions, protect their families and provide quality public services.
He, however, argued that the country’s political system needed stronger standards for assessing candidates before they assumed public office.
“There are no standards, and there are no standards because we do not demand standards. So anybody can come and present things,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed debate over President Tinubu’s educational background and broader discussions about the issues that should dominate political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
