The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Major Agbo, has advised Nigerians questioning President Bola Tinubu’s declared educational qualifications to approach the courts rather than subject the matter to public speculation.
Agbo, in an interview with Punch, argued that Nigeria’s laws clearly define the minimum educational requirement for a presidential candidate, adding that anyone dissatisfied with the documents published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had the right to seek judicial clarification.
According to him, the controversy should be determined through established legal processes rather than what he described as the court of public opinion.
He said, “The truth is that the position of the law states that the minimum qualification is secondary school, that is either GCE, SSCE or whatever they call it.
“The implication is that a candidate can declare any certificate beginning from First School Leaving Certificate to WAEC.”
Agbo said Tinubu’s decision to submit a degree certificate from Chicago State University should be considered within the provisions of the law governing qualification for elective office.
He maintained that individuals seeking further clarification about the President’s primary and secondary education should file a case before a competent court.
“But in this country, we like putting the cart before the horse. If what INEC has published now is his certificate from Chicago University and people want to know whether he went through primary and secondary school, the right thing to do in a democracy is to ask the courts to help find out,” he stated.
The NNPP chairman questioned the usefulness of repeatedly debating the qualifications of public officials without seeking a binding legal determination.
“For how long shall we continue to put our public officers through the court of public opinion? Again, how has that helped us in the past?” he asked.
Degree Certificate Covered By Law — Agbo
Agbo said every Nigerian had the constitutional right to challenge the credentials of a political officeholder or candidate.
He, however, insisted that such challenges should be pursued through the judiciary.
“Every Nigerian has the right to sue anybody who is a leader or aspires to be a leader. If he declares that he has a certificate from Chicago University, the law still covers him,” he said.
According to him, the relevant legal requirement permits a candidate to present any qualification that is not below the prescribed secondary school standard.
“The law states that you should declare anything that is not less than SSCE. And that is exactly what INEC has done,” Agbo added.
He urged critics of the President’s nomination documents to seek a judicial interpretation instead of continuing the debate through political statements and public commentary.
He added, “So, if what was published is just a degree certificate, the right thing for anybody who wants to contest it to do is to approach the courts.
“Let’s stop dragging our leaders in the court of public opinion. It will not help us.”
