The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has warned politicians seeking to lead Nigeria in the 2027 general election to be prepared to account for their past, insisting that voters have every right to scrutinise their educational background, antecedents and personal integrity.
ACF Publicity Secretary Prof. Tukur Baba set out the group’s position during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, arguing that the growing debate over candidates’ academic qualifications should not be reduced to producing certificates alone.
Baba said the focus should be on the credibility, consistency and transparency of candidates’ personal histories rather than paperwork alone.
“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, adding that Nigerians deserve to know the backgrounds of those seeking their votes.
“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.
He acknowledged that the 1999 Constitution does not expressly require presidential candidates to provide documentary evidence of every stage of their education, but argued that questions about candidates’ credibility should not be brushed aside.
ACF Contrasts Nigeria’s Vetting With China’s Leadership Pipeline
Baba compared Nigeria’s political system unfavourably with countries such as China, where, he said, aspiring leaders undergo prolonged scrutiny and a structured leadership-selection process long before reaching the top of government.
“By the time you get to the point of leadership, everything is known about you. Everything is scrutinised,” he said, blaming Nigeria’s weaker vetting process on what he described as a persistent willingness to lower standards.
“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.
Governance Impact Still Matters Most To Ordinary Nigerians
Even so, Baba said the ultimate concern of most Nigerians remains the quality and impact of governance rather than credentials alone, pointing to healthcare, education, housing, transportation and household welfare as the areas that shape how citizens experience leadership.
“What matters to them is the effect of good governance,” he said. “At the end of the day, what goes into my pocket? How is my family protected? Would my wife go to the hospital and expect service? Would my children receive quality education?” he asked, framing accountability for a candidate’s past as one part of a wider test of fitness for office.
Baba called on political parties and aspirants to embrace greater transparency ahead of the 2027 polls, saying Nigerians deserve to know the backgrounds and records of those seeking their mandate so they can make informed choices about “who it is that they are voting for” before handing over the country’s leadership.
The remarks add to an intensifying national conversation about candidate scrutiny as parties finalise their line-ups for the 2027 election, with the ACF’s intervention likely to keep questions over candidates’ academic records and personal histories in public focus in the months ahead.
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