2027: Failure to Provide Primary and Secondary School Certificates Disqualifies Tinubu, Says Kenneth Okonkwo.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has stirred fresh political debate by claiming that President Bola Tinubu is constitutionally unqualified to serve as Nigeria's president due to the absence of his primary and secondary school certificates in documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Okonkwo's remarks followed the publication of the credentials of all presidential candidates for the 2027 general election by INEC. According to him, while Tinubu submitted a university certificate, his primary and secondary school certificates were not included among the documents made public.

Reacting in a post on X, the former presidential spokesperson argued that Nigerian law requires every university applicant to possess at least five O'Level credits, insisting that anyone relying solely on a foreign university certificate without presenting evidence of secondary school qualifications should not be considered eligible for the nation's highest office.

Okonkwo further questioned the validity of the university certificate submitted by Tinubu, referencing previous controversies surrounding the document and maintaining that the omission of his earlier academic credentials raises constitutional concerns.

Beyond the certificate issue, the ADC chieftain criticized Nigeria's judiciary, alleging that certain court decisions have undermined the country's democracy. He accused some judges of exceeding their constitutional powers by delivering judgments that, in his view, amount to creating laws from the bench rather than interpreting existing legislation.

He also argued that despite repeated warnings from the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the National Judicial Council (NJC), some judicial officers have continued to issue what he described as perverse judgments that interfere with the responsibilities of the executive and legislative arms of government.

Okonkwo concluded by urging public office holders and political leaders to respect Nigeria's laws governing educational qualifications, insisting that the rule of law must remain the foundation of the country's democracy.