Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has said that a secondary school certificate is sufficient for anyone seeking to contest elections or secure political appointments in Nigeria.

The lawmaker made the comment on Monday while reacting to the controversy surrounding the academic credentials of Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

UNN Disowns Minister’s Degree

An investigative report by Premium Times revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate in Nnaji’s possession.

According to the institution, the minister did not complete his studies and was never issued a degree.

Court documents before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja also showed that Nnaji admitted UNN never issued him a degree certificate.

The embattled minister subsequently sued the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the university, and several of its top officials.

The court granted some of his prayers, including the release of his academic transcript, but refused to restrain the defendants. The matter was adjourned to October 6 for further hearing.

Sani Cautions Politicians on Fake Credentials

Reacting to the case via his X handle, Shehu Sani urged political aspirants to avoid presenting false academic qualifications, warning that such claims often lead to avoidable scandals.

He wrote:

“All you need to contest elections or for political appointment is a secondary school certificate. There is no way in the realm of politics one can claim any unearned qualifications without his or her political opponents digging into the matter. Some troubles are unnecessarily self-inflicted.”