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A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alwan Hassan, has dismissed arguments that academic qualifications determine leadership competence, insisting that the educational credentials of prominent opposition figures have not translated into better governance or political judgment for Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels TV Politics Today, Hassan argued that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s doctorate (PhD) and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s university degree (BSc) had not produced any significant national transformation.
“Tell me what Jonathan’s PhD has done to Nigeria. Tell me how Obi’s degree (BSc) has helped improve his communication skills.
“Tell me what it has done to Atiku to help him navigate and know the time to contest or when to concede for the best person of the time,” he said.
According to Hassan, the opposition has failed to present substantive criticisms against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, relying instead on debates over his academic background.
He also defended Tinubu against allegations surrounding his certificate from the Chicago State University, maintaining that there is no official declaration from the institution that the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was forged.
“There is nowhere that Chicago State University says the certificate President Tinubu submitted to INEC is forged. What the Constitution says is a school certificate or its equivalent.
“An equivalent of a school certificate is the ability to read and write,” Hassan stated.
The APC chieftain maintained that leadership should be judged by performance rather than academic credentials, insisting that educational qualifications alone do not guarantee effective governance.
