Human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, has said that the Nigerian constitution is the major problem on the issue of certificates of candidates seeking elective positions.

Yesufu made this remark in a post on her verified X handle on Tuesday.

Her comment stems from the recent publication of credentials and personal details of all the presidential candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

DAIILY POST recalls that Tinubu did not list his primary and secondary school qualifications in the educational details section of the personal particulars he submitted to INEC for the 2027 presidential election.

Airing her own opinion, the co-convener of BringBackOurGirls Movement said, “On the issue of certificate, our constitution is the problem.

“That till this moment there is no constitutional change, that is where the real problem lies.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has questioned the neutrality of Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, insisting that the cleric was not impartial during the 2023 general election.

Wike made the remarks during his media parley on Tuesday while reacting to the controversy that followed Onaiyekan’s comments after a recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

Following the meeting, the cardinal said in an interview that people around President Tinubu were presenting a “rosy picture” of the country to him and suggested that the President was focused on securing victory in the 2027 presidential election.

The Presidency subsequently faulted Onaiyekan for disclosing details of the closed-door meeting, describing the action as an abuse of privilege.

Responding to the development, Wike argued that public comments from religious leaders should reflect balance, warning that persistent criticism without acknowledging government achievements could be viewed as politically motivated.

“If a religious leader is perceived or seen to be taking a side, which is very clear, it is very difficult for people to begin to see those comments as being helpful,” he said.

“I am aware of the position of Cardinal Onaiyekan; all of us know, it’s not hidden, whom he supports; everybody knows that.”

The FCT minister said while it was appropriate to criticise government where necessary, leaders should also recognise areas where progress had been made.

“It’s not every time you say things are bad; nobody has heard you say government has done this well,” Wike said.

“The point I am trying to make is that, as a leader, commend government when government has done well in certain areas; criticise government and say, look, you have done this well, but you should improve in these other areas.”

He added that if public interventions from a respected figure were consistently negative, the government would naturally conclude that the criticism stemmed from political opposition rather than objectivity.

When reminded that the bishops’ position was not partisan, Wike disagreed, insisting that religious leaders openly aligned with candidates during the last presidential election.

“Don’t tell me they’re not partisan. You know what happened in the 2023 election. People took sides, religious leaders took sides, it was very open,” he said.

“I would be stupid to sit here for anybody to tell me this person is impartial. No. We know ourselves in this country; we know who belongs to where. Who did they support in 2023? It was very obvious,” he added.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alwan Hassan, has argued that academic qualifications alone are not enough to determine a person’s ability to lead effectively.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Hassan dismissed claims that higher educational achievements automatically translate into good governance, citing former President Goodluck Jonathan and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as examples.

According to him, “leadership should be evaluated based on performance, competence, and results rather than academic credentials”. 

He questioned “the impact of Jonathan’s doctoral degree and Obi’s university education on governance and public communication, maintaining that educational attainment does not necessarily produce effective leaders”.

Hassan also referenced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, arguing that political judgment and leadership decisions are not solely influenced by academic qualifications.

The APC stalwart further accused opposition parties of focusing on President Bola Tinubu’s academic records instead of providing constructive criticism of his administration’s policies and performance.

Defending Tinubu against allegations surrounding his academic credentials from Chicago State University, Hassan stated that there has been no official declaration by the institution that the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC was forged.

He added that Nigeria’s Constitution recognises a school certificate or its equivalent as a qualification for public office, noting that literacy and the ability to read and write satisfies that constitutional requirement.

Hassan maintained that the true measure of leadership lies in the capacity to deliver results and improve the lives of citizens, rather than the possession of academic degrees.