The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why the primary and secondary school certificates of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were not included among the credentials recently published ahead of the 2027 general election.

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A senior INEC official, who spoke with The PUNCH, said the commission only published documents submitted by presidential candidates and does not have the authority to question, alter or supplement the credentials presented by candidates.

According to the official, the publication is intended to give Nigerians an opportunity to scrutinise the documents and raise objections where they believe there are grounds to do so. “We only published what was submitted to the commission. We don’t have any authority to question those ones,” the official said.

The development comes amid fresh controversy over Tinubu’s academic credentials ahead of the 2027 presidential election. ADC chieftain and legal counsel Kalu Agu has petitioned the European Commission in Brussels, alleging that Tinubu presented false academic credentials to INEC and failed to disclose the primary and secondary schools he attended in documents submitted to the commission.

Separately, ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking Tinubu’s disqualification over an alleged forged NYSC certificate. Tinubu and the APC have yet to be found liable for the allegations cited in the report, which remain matters of contention before the relevant authorities and court.