The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the public display of the personal particulars and academic credentials of presidential candidates for the 2027 general elections, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The exercise, which began on Saturday, includes the nomination documents submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his running mate, Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Documents contained in Tinubu’s Form EC9 show that he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University in the United States. According to the transcript attached to his nomination papers, the degree was awarded with honours on June 22, 1979.
The President also submitted his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, indicating that he served in Oyo State from December 1982 before completing his mandatory national service in November 1983.
Tinubu’s employment history, as stated in the form, lists three major positions. He worked with Mobil Nigeria Limited between 1983 and 1992, leaving the company for career advancement. He later served as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, with his tenure ending constitutionally, before assuming office as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023, a position he continues to hold.
The nomination documents also list his date of birth as March 29, 1952, making him 74 years old. His place of birth is recorded as Lagos, while his residential address is listed as No. 4 Queen’s Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos. His occupation was stated simply as “Politician.”
However, the years of attendance for his primary and secondary education were entered as “0000” in the section designated for those qualifications, while only his university degree obtained in 1979 was fully detailed.
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s documents provide a more comprehensive academic history beginning from his primary education.
His Certificate of Primary Education, issued by the Ministry of Education of the former North-Eastern State, shows that he attended Lamisula I Primary School between 1972 and 1978, where he graduated second in a class of 22 pupils. His strongest subjects were listed as English, History and Religious Knowledge.
His West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result, obtained from Government Secondary School, Potiskum, in June 1983, indicates that he earned six credits and passes, including distinctions in Religious Knowledge and Economics.
Shettima subsequently enrolled at the University of Maiduguri, where he obtained a Second Class Upper Division degree in Agriculture in August 1989. He later earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan.
His NYSC discharge certificate shows that he completed his national service between October 1989 and October 1990.
INEC explained that the publication of the candidates’ particulars is a statutory requirement under Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which mandates the commission to display the credentials, personal particulars and affidavits submitted by candidates within 21 days of receiving them.
According to the commission, Form EC9 contains all relevant documents submitted by candidates sponsored by political parties seeking elective offices.
The forms have been displayed at INEC offices across the country, including the commission’s Lagos State headquarters in Sabo-Yaba and Local Government Area offices where applicable.
Under the Electoral Act, members of the public are entitled to apply for Certified True Copies of nomination forms and supporting documents submitted by candidates. The law also permits interested persons to challenge any information believed to be false or forged through legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to commence on August 19, while campaigns for governorship and state assembly elections will begin later in accordance with INEC’s revised election timetable.
