The Labour Party (LP) has said the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s educational qualifications should be considered strictly from a legal perspective rather than through political sentiment.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, in an interview with Punch, argued that the law permitted the President to submit his university degree without necessarily attaching his primary and secondary school certificates.
According to him, the omission may raise moral questions, but it does not automatically affect Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.
“But the law allows him to tender that B.Sc without the other documents that are assumed he would have got before getting the B.Sc. So, if the law permits that, I don’t see the hue and cry over it,” Asogwa said.
The LP spokesman noted that questions surrounding Tinubu’s academic credentials had previously been taken before the courts during the 2023 election cycle.
He said the matter reached the Supreme Court, which dismissed the case.
“Unfortunately, this matter has been litigated up to the Supreme Court, which threw the case out in the last election,” he stated.
Asogwa acknowledged that obtaining a bachelor’s degree would ordinarily suggest that the holder had completed primary and secondary education.
“However, I agree with you that for anyone to say he earned a B.Sc, it is assumed that you should have had your First School Leaving Certificate and WAEC that enabled you to proceed for the B.Sc,” he said.
He, however, maintained that such an assumption did not override the legal provisions governing eligibility for elective office.
Asogwa described the controversy as largely a moral question, insisting that it had little bearing on the President’s qualification to seek re-election.
“But, as I said, it is a matter of law. For me, it borders more on the moral aspect, which has nothing to do with his eligibility at this point,” he added.
The LP spokesman urged opposition parties to focus on issues capable of influencing the outcome of the forthcoming election, including the credibility of the electoral process and efforts to gain the confidence of voters.
“So, I think we should concentrate efforts on the credibility of this coming election and what should be done to appeal to voters and win the confidence of the Nigerian electorate, rather than his qualification,” he said.
Asogwa warned that continued focus on the President’s academic records could distract opposition parties from more important electoral concerns.
“Otherwise, it will be a total waste of time for the opposition to be dwelling on that,” he stated.
