A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alwan Hassan, has dismissed the growing controversy surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s academic credentials, insisting that the opposition has no constitutional basis to challenge the president’s qualification to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Hassan made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Monday while reacting to the renewed debate triggered by the publication of presidential candidates’ credentials by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the APC stalwart, the Nigerian Constitution does not require a university degree before anyone can contest for the office of president.
He argued that the law only stipulates possession of a school certificate or its equivalent, adding that the ability to read and write satisfies the constitutional requirement.
Hassan maintained that critics of the president were merely attempting to create a political controversy where none exists.
“What the Constitution says is that a school certificate or its equivalent, and the equivalent of a school certificate is the ability to read and write,” he said.
‘Leadership Is Not Determined By Academic Certificates’
Defending his position further, Hassan argued that academic qualifications alone do not determine leadership capacity or success.
To buttress his point, he cited Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who famously dropped out of Harvard University before becoming one of the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.
According to him, competence and performance should carry more weight than educational credentials in assessing political leaders.
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“One of the richest men in the world, Bill Gates, dropped out of Harvard. It’s not about education. These guys (the opposition) don’t have anything to hold this man,” he added.
The APC chieftain also defended President Tinubu’s record in office, arguing that the administration has delivered significant achievements within a relatively short period.
According to him, Tinubu has accomplished more in less than four years than some previous administrations, including that of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He insisted that critics should focus on evaluating the president’s performance rather than attempting to discredit him through debates over his academic background.
Responding to allegations surrounding Tinubu’s university credentials, Hassan maintained that the claims lack factual basis.
He argued that Chicago State University has never declared the president’s certificate to be fake, describing the allegations as politically motivated.
The comments come amid renewed public scrutiny of the academic documents submitted by President Tinubu to INEC for the 2027 presidential election.
The release of candidates’ credentials by the electoral commission has reignited debates over the educational qualifications of several presidential hopefuls, with Tinubu’s academic history once again becoming a major talking point in the country’s political discourse.