A former National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Babatunde Ogala, on Thursday insisted that President Bola Tinubu is qualified to run for the presidency in 2027.

Ogala said Tinubu is qualified by virtue of his age and the fact that he is a Nigerian.

He made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today while reacting to the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s qualifications.

Tinubu did not submit his primary and secondary school certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This has led to widespread controversy among Nigerians.

However, Ogala said: “What does the Constitution say about qualification for office? Because I hear things like: Who are his parents? Who is his father? Who is his mother? Who is his sister? And who is his brother?

“Is he a Nigerian? The answer is yes, unless otherwise proven or determined through a judicial process. Is Tinubu qualified to run for the presidency age-wise? The answer is yes, by constitutional provisions.

“Does he have the minimum educational qualification as prescribed by the Constitution, which says educated up to School Certificate level, interpreted to mean Primary Six and the ability to read and write?

“The man says, ‘I have a degree.’ Babatunde Ogala is sitting here. I’m a Senior Advocate, and you are asking me to prove if I’m a lawyer. You want to know which primary and secondary schools I attended, where I did my A-Levels, and all of that.”

The Senior Political Assistant to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Demola Olarenwaju, on Thursday insisted that President Bola Tinubu is the man behind the masquerade troubling Osun State.

Olarenwaju, however, noted that Adeleke is not bold enough to identify Tinubu as the troubler of the state.

His comment comes amid the controversy between the Osun State government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over frozen bank accounts.

EFCC had claimed that it’s action was not targeted at anybody, stressing that some of the bank accounts were frozen to avoid the diversion of funds.

However, Olarenwaju posted on X: “Tinubu is the man behind the masquerade troubling Osun State and if Gov. Adeleke is not bold enough to name him, he should avoid any public genuflection or kowtowing to him until elections are done and the will of the peoples of Osun prevails against APC next Saturday.

“Public proof that EFCC continues to act at the discretion and direction of Bola Tinubu, and may in future be used at will against opposition leaders.

“This is consistent with Tinubu’s “all is fair in politics” assertion, but inconsistent with democratic norms.”

Vice-presidential candidate of the ADC Rotimi Amaechi has called on opposition parties to work together ahead of the 2027 general election, saying unity is the only way to defeat the ruling APC.

Amaechi made the appeal while receiving a faction of the PDP led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, who paid him a condolence visit following the death of his mother, Dame Ezinne Mary Amaechi.

He urged opposition leaders to set aside their differences and form a common front, warning that division would make it easier for the APC to remain in power.

According to him, opposition parties should continue working together as the election approaches and put the interests of Nigerians above personal political ambitions.

He stressed that a divided opposition would struggle to challenge the APC at the polls.

Amaechi also spoke about the role his late mother played in his life, describing her dedication and sacrifices as key to his upbringing.

Speaking during the visit, Turaki expressed sympathy to Amaechi and his family over the loss.

“Nothing prepares anybody for the loss of a parent, especially a mother. So, we can only imagine the deep loss and grief that you and your family are going through,” he said.

He also recalled Amaechi’s years in the PDP, adding, “As a party on whose platform you served the good people of Rivers State as Speaker and later as governor, we share in your grief and encourage you to be strong, knowing the certainty of death and its role as a window to immortality.”