Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has stated that a secondary school certificate is sufficient for contesting elections or securing political appointments in Nigeria, cautioning politicians against inflating their academic qualifications.
Sani’s comment on Monday followed an investigative report by Premium Times, which revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate claimed by Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
According to court documents cited in the report, UNN stated that Nnaji did not complete his studies at the institution and was never issued a degree certificate. The minister himself reportedly admitted this in documents filed before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Nnaji has filed a suit against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN, its Vice-Chancellor Prof. Charles Igwe, Registrar, former Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oguejiofor Ujam, and the university’s Senate.
The court granted three of Nnaji’s prayers, including a directive compelling UNN to release his academic transcript. However, it declined his request for an injunction against the defendants. The case was adjourned to October 6 for further hearing.
Reacting to the controversy in a post via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Sani warned political aspirants against making false claims about their education:
“All you need to contest elections or for political appointment is a secondary school certificate. There is no way in the realm of politics one can claim any unearned qualifications without his or her political opponents digging into the matter. Some troubles are unnecessarily self-inflicted.”
The development adds to growing concerns about credential verification among public office holders in Nigeria, a recurring issue that continues to attract scrutiny from both the media and the public.
