Former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has raised questions over President Bola Tinubu’s personal particulars as displayed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 presidential election, noting that the sections for primary and secondary school qualifications were left blank, with only his university degree listed.
Dalung said he made the observation after going through the published particulars of presidential candidates released by INEC, stressing that his comments were not an allegation but a call for clarity that Nigerians deserved to have addressed.
“I just read the published particulars of presidential candidates released by INEC for the 2027 election, and one thing immediately caught my attention. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly left the sections for his primary and secondary school qualifications blank, while listing only his university degree,” he said.
“Before the usual attack ‘dogs’ arrive, let me be clear: this is not an allegation. It is an observation based on the documents made available by INEC. But it raises a question that deserves an answer. Why leave those sections blank?” he added.
He argued that transparency was central to public trust in the presidency, insisting that if there was a reasonable explanation for the omission, it should be made public.
“If there is a perfectly reasonable explanation, Nigerians deserve to hear it. Public office, especially the presidency, is built on public trust. Trust flourishes where there is openness, not ambiguity,” he said.
Dalung pointed to what he described as the irony of the administration’s own record on scrutinising public documents, noting that it had previously pressed political opponents for explanations over discrepancies in their records.
“This administration and its supporters have repeatedly insisted that public records, affidavits, declarations, and official documents matter.
“They have demanded explanations from political opponents over omissions, discrepancies, and technicalities. Fair enough.
“Accountability should indeed be taken seriously. But accountability cannot become selective.
“The same standard applied to every other candidate should apply to the incumbent President. No more, no less,” he said.
He maintained that the issue at stake was not which schools Tinubu attended but the broader principle of full disclosure expected of anyone seeking public office.
“This is not about whether someone attended a particular primary or secondary school. It is about the principle of full disclosure.
“If millions of ordinary Nigerians are expected to provide complete educational histories when applying for jobs, scholarships, security clearances, or public appointments, why should the occupant of the nation’s highest office be held to a lower standard?” he said.
Dalung reiterated that his comments were not a declaration of guilt but a demand for openness, arguing that silence over the blank sections on the INEC-published form would only deepen public speculation.
“Again, this is not a declaration of guilt. It is a call for clarity. The easiest way to put every question to rest is transparency.
“Silence rarely ends speculation; openness usually does. Nigerians are not asking for favours. They are asking for consistency,” he said.
He warned against treating scrutiny of the presidency as disloyalty, insisting that public officials remain answerable to the people who elected them.
“The presidency should never be an office where questions become insults, curiosity becomes disloyalty, or scrutiny becomes sacrilege.
“Those who seek the people’s mandate must also submit to the people’s questions.
“The burden of public office is not merely to obey the law; it is to inspire public confidence. That is democracy,” Dalung said.
(The Whistler)
