Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has stated that a secondary school certificate is sufficient for anyone seeking to contest elections or secure a political appointment in Nigeria.
Sani made the remarks on Monday, following a recent investigative report by Premium Times, which revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate claimed by Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation. According to the report, UNN confirmed that Nnaji did not complete his studies at the institution, and no certificate had been issued to him.
The investigative report cited court documents submitted before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Nnaji admitted that UNN had never granted him a degree certificate. Nnaji had filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN, its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, the Registrar, the former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oguejiofor Ujam, and the university’s Senate.
The court granted three of Nnaji’s requests, including an order compelling UNN and its officials to release his academic transcript, though it declined to issue an injunction against the defendants. The case has been adjourned to October 6 for further proceedings.
In response to the scandal, Shehu Sani posted on his X handle, advising politicians to be truthful about their academic qualifications.
“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,” he wrote.
