Ndume to opposition move beyond Tinubu’s certificate — sell your ideas to Nigerians

Senator Ali Ndume, a former Senate Leader and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged opposition parties to stop dwelling on President Bola Tinubu’s academic credentials and instead focus on presenting Nigerians with credible policies and alternative ideas ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, said opposition presidential candidates should concentrate on explaining how they would govern differently and address the country’s economic and security challenges.

His comments come amid renewed debate among some opposition figures over President Tinubu’s educational credentials, particularly the absence of entries for his primary and secondary education in documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tinubu’s submission lists a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University, obtained in 1979, alongside copies of his certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

Ndume Defends Tinubu’s Qualification

Ndume argued that the Nigerian Constitution does not specifically require a secondary school certificate as the only qualification for meeting the minimum educational requirement to contest the presidency.

According to him, the 1999 Constitution provides that a presidential candidate must have been educated to at least “school certificate level or its equivalent.”

“The constitution only establishes a minimum educational threshold, but it does not insist on the particularity of a secondary school certificate as the only means by which that threshold can be met,” Ndume said in a statement.

‘Focus on What You Can Do Better’

The senator described the continued focus on Tinubu’s certificate as a distraction from issues that should dominate the 2027 election campaign.

Ndume challenged opposition parties and their presidential candidates to explain what they would do differently if elected and how their policies would improve the lives of Nigerians.

“The narrative around his certificate, in my opinion, is distracting,” he said.

“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.”

He urged opposition parties to scrutinise the Tinubu administration’s economic policies and record on insecurity while also offering practical alternatives to voters.

“It is his economic policies and how his administration has been able to tackle insecurity with landmark success that they should try and interrogate,” Ndume said.

2027 Campaign Should Focus on Performance

Ndume further argued that with Tinubu having spent more than three years in office, the president’s performance should be at the centre of the 2027 political debate.

“He has been in office for over three years now. So, how can the narrative around his certificates be the focus of his challengers?” he asked.

The senator called on opposition parties to raise the quality of political discourse and move the 2027 campaign “beyond the mundane.”

He said Nigerians should be presented with competing ideas, economic programmes and clear solutions to the country’s challenges rather than campaigns dominated by controversies over academic credentials.

As political parties prepare for the 2027 presidential election, the debate is expected to increasingly centre on the economy, insecurity, unemployment, poverty and other issues likely to shape voters’ decisions.

TheCable