A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alwan Hassan, has argued that academic qualifications alone should not be used as the primary measure of a political leader’s competence, insisting that higher degrees do not automatically guarantee effective governance or leadership.
Hassan made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today while responding to discussions surrounding the educational credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
During the programme, he challenged critics to evaluate political leaders based on their performance rather than the academic certificates they possess.
“Tell me what Jonathan’s PhD has done to Nigeria. Tell me how Obi’s BSc has helped improve his communication skills. Tell me what it has done to Atiku to help him navigate and know the time to contest or when to concede for the best person of the time,” Hassan said.
According to him, the opposition has failed to raise more substantive issues against President Tinubu beyond debates over his educational background, maintaining that political discourse should focus on governance, policies and leadership outcomes rather than academic qualifications alone.
His comments came during a heated discussion on the programme over the educational credentials of presidential candidates, where representatives of the APC and the opposition exchanged differing views on the constitutional requirements for elective office and the relevance of academic records in assessing leadership suitability.
The debate forms part of the broader political conversations emerging ahead of the 2027 general elections, with questions surrounding candidates’ qualifications, leadership records and constitutional eligibility continuing to feature prominently in public discourse.
