2027: INEC Opens Tinubu, Shettima Credentials For Public View

The Independent National Electoral Commission has kicked off the mandatory public display of personal details, academic qualifications and supporting documents for all candidates vying for the presidency in the 2027 general election.

The exercise commenced on Saturday, with the nomination papers, known as Form EC9 of All Progressives Congress flagbearer President Bola Tinubu and his running mate Vice President Kashim Shettima among the first sets made available for public viewing.

Documents reviewed from Tinubu’s filing show he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Chicago State University in the United States, graduating “with honours” on June 22, 1979. His National Youth Service Corps papers confirm he was deployed to Oyo State, starting service in December 1982 and completing his mandatory year in November 1983.

His employment history of Tinubu listed on the form covers three stints: nine years at Mobil Nigeria Limited from 1983 to 1992, departing for “career advancement”; eight years with the Lagos State Government between 1999 and 2007, concluding at the “expiration of statutory tenure”; and continuous service with the Federal Government of Nigeria since 2023. Notably, the fields for primary and secondary school attendance dates are marked “0000”, with only his university degree explicitly recorded.

Other personal details of Tinubu released by INEC, list his birth date as March 29, 1952-making him 74 years old; place of birth as Lagos, home address at No. 4, Queen’s Drive, Ikoyi, and occupation as “politician”.

For Vice President Shettima, the full timeline of his education is documented from primary level. His First School Leaving Certificate, issued by the then Ministry of Education, North-Eastern State, shows he attended Lamisula I Primary School from 1972 to 1978, graduating second in a class of 22, with top performances in English, History and Religious Knowledge.

His West African Examinations Council results from Government Secondary School, Potiskum, dated June 1983, include six passes and credits, with distinctions recorded in Religious Knowledge and Economics.

He proceeded to the University of Maiduguri, graduating with a Second Class Upper Honours degree in Agriculture in August 1989, before completing a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics at the University of Ibadan. His NYSC documentation places his service period between October 1989 and October 1990.

This public disclosure is a legal requirement under Section 29(3) of the 2026 Electoral Act, which compels INEC to publish all candidate particulars within 21 days of receiving nomination submissions.

An official statement from the commission confirmed that “Form EC9 comprises all relevant credentials, personal particulars and sworn affidavits submitted by candidates on behalf of their political parties.”