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Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has called on President Bola Tinubu to clarify why the sections for his primary and secondary school qualifications were left blank in the particulars of presidential candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 election.
On Saturday, the electoral umpire published the personal details and supporting documents submitted by candidates for the January 16, 2027 presidential election, opening the statutory period for public scrutiny of their qualifications.
In a post on Facebook, Dalung said he observed from INEC’s published documents that the president listed only his university degree while leaving the sections for primary and secondary education vacant.
“This is not an allegation. It is an observation based on the documents made available by INEC,” Dalung said.
“But it raises a question that deserves an answer. Why leave those sections blank?”
The former minister argued that public office, especially the presidency, is built on public trust and that trust “flourishes where there is openness, not ambiguity.”
Dalung noted that the current administration and its supporters have repeatedly insisted that public records, affidavits and official declarations matter, and have demanded explanations from political opponents over omissions and discrepancies.
“Accountability should indeed be taken seriously. But accountability cannot become selective,” he said. “The same standard applied to every other candidate should apply to the incumbent President. No more, no less.”
He said the issue was not about which specific schools the president attended, but about “the principle of full disclosure.”
“If millions of ordinary Nigerians are expected to provide complete educational histories when applying for jobs, scholarships, security clearances, or public appointments, why should the occupant of the nation’s highest office be held to a lower standard?” Dalung asked.
According to him, the easiest way to address the matter is transparency. “Silence rarely ends speculation; openness usually does. Nigerians are not asking for favours. They are asking for consistency.”
Dalung added that those seeking the people’s mandate “must also submit to the people’s questions,” and that “the burden of public office is not merely to obey the law; it is to inspire public confidence.”
