Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has mocked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the academic qualifications attributed to him in records published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), suggesting that the President can still obtain his missing primary and secondary school certificates through adult education or online learning programmes. Sowore made the remarks on Monday, August 3, 2026, while addressing journalists outside the Federal High Court in Abuja after proceedings in his ongoing trial over allegations of cyberbullying President Tinubu.
Sowore's comments followed renewed public attention on documents submitted by Tinubu to INEC, which have been criticised for not containing details of his primary and secondary school certificates. In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, Sowore said: "If I have to, I have my master's, if I have to go for a PhD, I will do like Obasanjo. I will go to the National Open University of Nigeria, where they teach you from house. It's not too late for the guy (Tinubu) to go back to school. Actually, one of his ministers went back and did their NYSC after he became a minister".
Sowore continued: "He can still register in any of these online primary and secondary schools. He had the chance to have gone back to school between 2020 and now. Tinubu should have gone back to school. He can still register online for primary school and secondary school. So, I don't see any problem. After all, Adeleke do am for Osun State (Adeleke did it in Osun State). There's an adult education opportunity for him. So that they would fill that primary school section for him".
The debate resurfaced after attention was drawn to INEC records, where sections relating to the President's primary and secondary education were left uncompleted, while his Bachelor of Science degree from Chicago State University was listed among his credentials. A review of Tinubu's Form EC9 showed that the President listed only a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration obtained from Chicago State University in 1979. The sections designated for his primary and secondary school qualifications on the summary page of the form were left blank. He, however, attached copies of his Chicago State University degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate as supporting documents. Tinubu declared that he was born on March 29, 1952, in Lagos State and described his occupation as "Politician".
The omission has triggered fresh political debate, with opposition parties questioning the omission and demanding explanations from both the President and INEC, while others insist the issue has already been settled by the courts and should no longer dominate political discourse. The National Publicity Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Osa Director, also questioned why the President did not list his primary and secondary school qualifications. According to Osa: "It is so disappointing that this is what we are talking about. Again, I believe that we are just raising this question for academic purposes. We don't know the answer to our question. That is, those certificates are not there. So, it is what it is".
He further stated: "Let them tell us why the President's secondary school and primary school certificates are not there. We all know that you cannot graduate from university without attending basic school. They should be able to tell us what happened to them. Because when you fill out forms online and submit, it will reject your submission, saying you have not completed filling in all the necessary information. So, I am surprised that this form went through INEC, knowing it was not filled".
The controversy has also drawn reactions from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, alleged that Tinubu was trying to "hide something" by refusing to list his primary and secondary school qualifications. Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ADC, Dino Melaye, questioned how the President gained admission into a foreign university without first obtaining basic educational qualifications.
The renewed controversy has once again placed Tinubu's educational history at the centre of political discourse as the build-up to the 2027 general election gathers momentum. The questions surrounding Tinubu's educational records date back several election cycles, including his 1999 and 2003 governorship elections, and were a central issue in legal petitions following the 2023 presidential election. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld his victory.
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