INEC publishes Tinubu, Shettima’s credentials for public scrutiny ahead of 2027 election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the public display of the personal particulars, academic credentials and nomination documents submitted by candidates participating in the 2027 general election, including President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The exercise is part of the statutory nomination process and provides members of the public with an opportunity to inspect the information and supporting documents submitted by candidates ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

INEC had fixed August 1 for the publication of the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates after political parties completed the submission of their nomination documents through the commission’s designated portal. (Punch Newspapers)

Documents contained in President Tinubu’s Form EC9 show that he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University in the United States.

His academic transcript indicates that the degree was awarded “with honours” on June 22, 1979.

The documents also include a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate showing that Tinubu completed his mandatory national service in Oyo State between December 1982 and November 1983.

According to the employment history provided in the nomination form, Tinubu worked at Mobil Nigeria Limited from 1983 to 1992 before leaving for what was described as “advancement.”

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The form also records his service as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and indicates that he has served under the Federal Government since 2023.

While the form lists his university qualification, the sections relating to his primary and secondary school attendance contain the entry “0000,” with no specific years stated.

The documents list Tinubu’s date of birth as March 29, 1952, and describe his occupation as “politician.”

The nomination documents submitted by Vice President Kashim Shettima provide details of his educational background from the primary school level.

His Certificate of Primary Education, issued by the Ministry of Education of the former North-Eastern State, indicates that he attended Lamisula I Primary School between 1972 and 1978.

The certificate states that Shettima graduated second in a class of 22 pupils, with English, History and Religious Knowledge listed among his strongest subjects.

His West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate from Government Secondary School, Potiskum, dated June 1983, records six credits and passes, including distinctions in Religious Knowledge and Economics.

Shettima later obtained a Second Class Upper Division degree in Agriculture from the University of Maiduguri in August 1989.

He subsequently earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan.

His NYSC discharge certificate shows that he completed the national service programme between October 1989 and October 1990.

INEC said the publication of candidates’ personal particulars is intended to promote transparency and enable public scrutiny of the information submitted by political parties on behalf of their candidates.

The commission explained that Form EC9 contains candidates’ personal information, educational qualifications, supporting credentials and sworn declarations.

The documents have been displayed at designated INEC offices across the country, including state and local government offices linked to the relevant constituencies.

Members of the public may inspect the documents and, where necessary, seek certified true copies of candidates’ nomination forms and supporting records through the procedures provided by law.

The electoral framework also provides legal channels for eligible persons to challenge alleged false declarations, inaccurate information or forged credentials before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The public display does not amount to an independent verification or endorsement by INEC of every detail contained in the submitted documents. Rather, it forms part of the electoral nomination process and allows the public to review candidates’ particulars and pursue any concerns through established legal procedures.

The publication comes as political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 general election, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027. (INEC Nigeria)

The public display of the candidates’ records marks another major stage in the electoral process as political parties intensify preparations for the nationwide polls.

INEC publishes Tinubu, Shettima’s credentials for public scrutiny ahead of 2027 election

Naming Atiku as My Running Mate in 1999 My Biggest Political Error – Obasanjo

• Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says picking Atiku Abubakar as his vice-presidential candidate remains the greatest mistake of his political career, though he harbours no bitterness over their fractured relationship.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to select former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his political career. Obasanjo made the remark on Friday in Lagos during a fireside conversation with veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy. The event was held to unveil Charly Boy’s foundation and his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa. The public presentation took place at the Alliance Française de Lagos/Mike Adenuga Centre on Osborne Road, Ikoyi. Reflecting on his years in office, the former president said that while every leader makes mistakes, his choice of vice president remained the one decision he regretted most. “The man I picked as my running mate, my number two. If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him,” Obasanjo said. When Charly Boy sought clarification on whether he was referring to Atiku, Obasanjo replied, “My vice president. I don’t know what name you want to give him, but my vice president, I mean that.”

Despite his scathing assessment, Obasanjo insisted he harbours no personal bitterness toward his former deputy. “There is no bitterness because he did things he believed he should do, and God did the things God had to do, which enabled me to achieve what I was able to achieve,” he added. Obasanjo expressed gratitude that Atiku’s actions did not derail his administration or harm Nigeria. “What I know about him later makes me… thank God because God did not allow his actions and reactions to overwhelm me, or to divert my own focus from Nigeria, or to harm Nigeria even,” he said.

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The former president also addressed recurring discussions about his ancestry, insisting that his family traces its roots to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. “I still know our family house there,” he said.

The event drew several distinguished guests, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi; businessman Leo Stan Ekeh, who announced donations of N20 million each on behalf of Obasanjo and Chief Emeka Anyaoku; book reviewer Dr. Austin Tam-George; and veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo, among other notable personalities.

Obasanjo and Atiku contested the 1999 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and jointly governed Nigeria from 1999 until 2007. Their relationship, however, deteriorated during their second term in office following a series of political disagreements. In his memoir, My Watch, published in 2014, Obasanjo accused Atiku of corruption, disloyalty, and placing personal ambition above national interest. Atiku dismissed the allegations, accusing Obasanjo of attempting to rewrite history. The verbal exchanges intensified recently after Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave former Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba N5 million to begin impeachment proceedings against him during his first term. Atiku denied the allegation and accused the ex-president of fabricating claims.

Naming Atiku as My Running Mate in 1999 My Biggest Political Error – Obasanjo

INEC Rejects Jonathan’s 2027 Presidential Nomination Submitted by PDP Faction

• The electoral body insists on electronic submission through its designated portal, dismissing the Turaki-led faction’s manual filing as a violation of established procedures.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 general election submitted by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) . The Turaki-led faction had earlier announced that it submitted Jonathan’s nomination alongside the names of its governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates to INEC. The group maintained that the submission was carried out manually after it was allegedly denied access to the commission’s electronic nomination platform. However, INEC dismissed the submission, insisting that nominations can only be processed through its designated online portal in line with electoral regulations. Speaking on the matter, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, stated that the commission does not recognise manual submission of candidates. “Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines please,” she said. Eta-Messi also questioned the basis of the faction’s claim, asking: “If the faction claimed that they were denied access to the code, how did they submit the list of their candidates to the commission?” The commission’s position effectively shuts the door on the nomination submitted by the Turaki faction and raises fresh questions about the validity of the candidates presented by the group.

Despite INEC’s stance, the faction insisted it acted within the provisions of the Electoral Act and accused the commission of creating obstacles for its leadership. National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the group was left with no option but to submit its candidates manually after INEC allegedly refused to provide access codes required for electronic filing. “Notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, which is an administrative convenience rather than a legal requirement—we have successfully submitted, manually and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic Peoples Democratic Party,” Ememobong said. According to him, the submission included Jonathan’s presidential nomination as well as the names of candidates for governorship, National Assembly and state assembly positions across the country. He further claimed that the documents were received and acknowledged by officials of the commission despite the disagreement over the recognition of the faction. The PDP spokesman warned INEC against publishing any list of candidates different from those submitted by his group. “Should the Commission publish names other than those lawfully submitted by us… we are exhausting every constitutional, legal and democratic avenue to ensure that our Party is not hijacked or annexed to the ruling party,” he said.

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Ememobong further accused INEC of abandoning its neutral role in the management of the crisis. “The Commission’s actions have regrettably reinforced the growing public perception that it is no longer acting with the impartiality expected of the nation’s electoral umpire,” he said. He alleged that the electoral body failed to disclose critical facts during legal proceedings involving the party and ignored congresses that had allegedly been monitored by its officials. Ememobong argued that the party’s Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting had constituted an Interim National Working Committee following a Supreme Court judgment that allegedly left the PDP without a recognised national leadership. He claimed that despite formally notifying INEC about the interim leadership arrangement, the commission refused to acknowledge it, forcing the faction to seek legal remedies. The PDP chieftain also criticised a recent Federal High Court judgment connected to the dispute, insisting that the ruling contradicted existing decisions of higher courts. “The judgment… reads more like an appeal on the judgment of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. It is clearly inconsistent with the extant decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal that form the foundation of our case,” he stated. He disclosed that the faction had already appealed the judgment and would challenge what it described as discrepancies between the ruling delivered in court and its Certified True Copy.

The main PDP leadership, backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and led by Abdulraham Mohammed, has rejected the purported submission, describing the move as “illegal and worthless.” The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said only a legally recognised leadership with authorised access to INEC’s candidate nomination portal could submit names on behalf of the PDP. He urged Jonathan to publicly distance himself from the faction, warning that his silence could be interpreted as approval. “It is just wishful thinking, and the most unfortunate thing about the whole of this charade is how a respected former president of this country, Goodluck Jonathan, has allowed himself to be ridiculed by this group of recalcitrant and disloyal citizens of this country,” Mohammed stated. Mohammed argued that INEC did not prescribe any manual way of submitting a list of candidates, questioning whether the purported candidates emerged from valid primaries monitored by INEC. He also stated that Jonathan’s continued silence “only means that he is consenting to their charade.”

The PDP faction linked the crisis to what it described as a wider effort to weaken opposition parties across the country. “We were the pioneer target for opposition dismantling and capture… but it has now spread to almost all the opposition parties,” Ememobong said. He warned that any attempt to undermine opposition platforms could have serious implications for Nigeria’s multi-party democratic system. “The current APC-led administration has a blueprint to dismantle all opposition parties in Nigeria, and they are going through with it in phases,” he alleged. Ememobong expressed confidence that the courts would eventually determine the matter in their favour and that Jonathan’s name would appear on the ballot as the PDP presidential candidate.

The faction traced the dispute to a Supreme Court judgment on the PDP’s leadership, saying the party’s Board of Trustees and a requisitioned National Executive Committee meeting constituted the Interim National Working Committee after the ruling left the party without a legally recognised national leadership. The electoral commission’s portal for candidate uploads opened on July 18, 2026, with eight political parties receiving access codes for the exercise. The faction has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after INEC allegedly refused to recognise the interim leadership despite receiving formal notifications regarding its emergence. The Turaki-led faction has vowed to pursue all legal and constitutional avenues to ensure its candidates are recognised. The group has warned that if INEC publishes names different from those it submitted, it would reinforce public concerns about the commission’s impartiality.

INEC Rejects Jonathan’s 2027 Presidential Nomination Submitted by PDP Faction