Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has stated that a secondary school certificate is sufficient for anyone seeking to contest elections or hold a political appointment in Nigeria.
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Sani made the remark on Monday in reaction to a report by Premium Times, which revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, denied awarding a Bachelor of Science degree to Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Uche Nnaji. The university said Nnaji never completed his studies and was never issued a certificate.
The controversy arose after court documents showed that Nnaji admitted he had not received a degree certificate from the university. In response, he filed a suit against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, and the University of Nigeria, requesting the release of his academic transcript. The court granted part of his request by ordering the release of the transcript but refused to issue an injunction against the defendants. The matter has been adjourned for further hearing on October 6.
Sani further advised politicians to be honest about their academic qualifications, noting that claiming degrees or certificates one does not possess often leads to unnecessary problems. He emphasized that a secondary school certificate is enough to contest elections or hold political office, and that many troubles in politics are self-inflicted when false claims are made.
