By Dada Ayoola | Asiwaju Media Team
Allegations surrounding the academic and professional credentials of Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, continue to spark widespread debate, with critics warning that the matter risks undermining public confidence in governance and casting a shadow over Ondo State and the country at large.
The claims, which have circulated widely across traditional and social media platforms, centre on questions over the authenticity of documents linked to the minister, including his Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE), bachelor’s degree, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, and a purported master’s degree. Critics argue that the minister’s prolonged silence has deepened public suspicion, a view his allies strongly contest.
Those advancing the allegations point to what they describe as inconsistencies in documents publicly associated with the minister. Among the issues raised is a WAEC Attestation result allegedly dated 1999 which, according to critics, bears features, such as an adult passport photograph that they claim were not standard practice at the time.
Further scrutiny has been directed at the NYSC certificate linked to the minister. Critics cite provisions of the NYSC Act, which prohibit full time national service while holding elective political office. They allege that Tunji-Ojo’s NYSC service was claimed to have occurred during a period when he was serving as an elected member of the House of Representatives in 2019, and that the service duration allegedly exceeded the statutory one year.
In a related claim, critics allege that during the 2019 general elections, Tunji-Ojo submitted an SSCE purportedly obtained from FUTA Staff Secondary School to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as his highest qualification for his House of Representatives bid.
This has raised further questions in the public space, with critics asking whether the NYSC would remobilise an individual whose declared highest qualification at the time was an SSCE, an issue they argue requires clear institutional clarification.
Although none of these allegations has been conclusively determined by a court of law, they have generated heightened public concern, particularly given the sensitive responsibilities of the Interior Ministry, which oversees internal security agencies, immigration services, and the National Identification Number (NIN) database.
Some citizens have expressed anxiety about the integrity and safety of their personal data as NINs become increasingly integrated with banking systems and tax reforms.
Civil society voices and concerned groups are now calling on President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order an independent and transparent review of the minister’s credentials and related security implications, arguing that public trust must be restored where serious questions have been raised.
Within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reactions have been mixed. While some party figures have urged that the matter be treated as a personal issue, others have called on the minister to directly and factually address the allegations to safeguard the party’s image. An APC stakeholder, who spoke anonymously, alleged that some online defenders of the minister lack verifiable party affiliation and may be financially motivated, adding that a clear, document backed response would have laid the matter to rest if the credentials were indeed genuine and easily verifiable.
As the controversy persists, political analysts caution that continued silence or opaque handling of the allegations could further erode confidence in public institutions and ongoing government reforms, especially those tied to national security and citizens’ data.
For now, public attention remains fixed on whether the minister or the appropriate authorities will offer a decisive, transparent response capable of resolving the questions and reaffirming accountability as a cornerstone of democratic governance.
