The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on President Bola Tinubu and other politicians seeking elective positions in 2027 to make their personal records open to public scrutiny.
The forum said Nigerians had the right to examine the educational backgrounds, antecedents, integrity and personal histories of politicians seeking to lead the country, especially presidential candidates.
The ACF Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Baba, made the call on Tuesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
Baba said public scrutiny should not be limited to whether a candidate possesses the academic qualifications required by law, but should also cover the credibility and consistency of the candidate’s overall history.
“If you are presenting yourself for election to the highest office in Nigeria, holding lives together, being the Commander-in-Chief, it is legitimate to ask questions,” he said.
He argued that Nigerians should be able to establish the backgrounds of politicians asking for their votes, adding that transparency was essential to the leadership selection process.
“The certificate is not as important as the story itself. It has to be straight. It has to be consistent. If it is not, there is a problem,” Baba said.
Although he acknowledged that the 1999 Constitution does not specifically require presidential candidates to provide documentary evidence of every stage of their educational history, Baba said Nigerians should still be free to question inconsistencies in candidates’ records.
He criticised Nigeria’s political system for failing to establish strong standards of accountability, saying both politicians and voters had contributed to the situation.
“We are simply flexible in our demands for accountability. There are no standards, and there are no standards because we do not demand standards,” he said.
Baba compared Nigeria with countries where aspiring leaders undergo years of political and institutional scrutiny before reaching the highest offices.
He cited China, where, according to him, leaders typically progress through a structured system in which their records and capabilities are assessed over time.
The ACF official, however, said Nigerians were ultimately more concerned about how government policies affected their daily lives than about academic credentials alone.
“What matters to them is the effect of good governance,” he said.
He said voters wanted leaders capable of improving healthcare, education, housing, transportation and the economic welfare of families.
Baba urged politicians preparing for the 2027 elections to provide sufficient information about their backgrounds so Nigerians could make informed decisions at the polls.
The call comes amid growing political debate over the records, policies and programmes of politicians preparing for the 2027 presidential election.
The removal of petrol subsidy by the Tinubu administration remains one of the major issues shaping the political debate.
Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, recently reiterated his support for subsidy removal but criticised the Federal Government over its handling of the funds saved from the policy.
Speaking at a panel session during the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Obi said subsidy removal was necessary but argued that the government should have provided alternatives to cushion its impact on Nigerians.
He also claimed that the Federal Government had reported receiving about N16 trillion from subsidy-related savings and questioned how the funds had been utilised.
In contrast, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has promised to reinstate petrol subsidy if elected, arguing that its removal has not produced the expected benefits for Nigerians.
Tinubu has rejected calls for a return to the subsidy regime, maintaining that it imposed a significant financial burden on government and contributed to fiscal challenges before his administration came into office.
The competing positions are expected to remain central to the political debate as parties and presidential hopefuls begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
- FULL LIST: Nigeria ranks 56th among world’s poorest countries by GDP-PPP - August 25, 2026
- 2027: ACF asks Tinubu, other candidates to open up on past - August 25, 2026
- NBTE begins accreditation of seven programmes in Gombe college - August 25, 2026
