Before the campaign season for the 2027 general elections begins, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday started displaying the personal particulars and academic credentials of presidential candidates across the country, including those of President Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The exercise is taking place at INEC offices nationwide in line with the Electoral Act, allowing Nigerians, political parties and other stakeholders to examine the documents submitted by candidates.
The documents displayed include Form EC9, which contains candidates’ personal information, educational qualifications, work history and sworn affidavits filed during the nomination process.
Tinubu’s submission includes his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University in the United States, awarded in 1979, along with his National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate showing he served in Oyo State between December 1982 and November 1983.
The documents also list Tinubu’s previous employment, indicating that he worked at Mobil Nigeria Limited from 1983 to 1992 before serving as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007. His current position as President of Nigeria, which began in 2023, is also included. The form records his date of birth as March 29, 1952, his birthplace as Lagos, his occupation as a politician and his residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.
While his university qualification is fully stated, the sections for his primary and secondary school years contain “0000” as the years of attendance.
Shettima’s records provide details of his educational journey from primary school through postgraduate studies. His documents show that he attended Lamisula I Primary School between 1972 and 1978 before moving to Government Secondary School, Potiskum, where he completed his secondary education in 1983.
He later obtained a Second Class Upper degree in Agriculture from the University of Maiduguri in 1989 and went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan.
His NYSC certificate also shows that he completed national service between October 1989 and October 1990.
INEC said the public display of Form EC9 is a legal requirement intended to give Nigerians access to the credentials and personal details submitted by candidates seeking elective offices. The commission noted that members of the public have the right to inspect the documents and, where necessary, obtain certified true copies in accordance with the law.
The electoral body also stated that anyone who believes a candidate submitted false information or forged documents can seek legal redress through the procedures provided under the Electoral Act. The commission said the exercise forms part of measures designed to promote openness in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to begin on August 19, while campaigns for governorship and state assembly elections will commence later in line with INEC’s approved timetable.
The display of candidates’ credentials is one of the final steps before political parties begin full-scale election campaigns across the country.