Sworn documents submitted by Senator Kelvin Chukwu Chizoba, who represents Enugu East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, are drawing fresh scrutiny after copies obtained and published by Sahara Reporters revealed what appears to be an implausible academic timeline.

The documents, which include his First School Leaving Certificate and his National Youth Service Corps discharge papers, indicate that the senator completed his primary education at the age of five, while his NYSC service appears to predate his law degree by roughly two decades.

Chizoba, a lawmaker under the Labour Party, ascended to the Senate in 2023 following the assassination of his elder brother, Oyibo Chukwu, who was the party’s original senatorial candidate for the zone. Oyibo was killed days to the February 2023 general election while returning from a campaign event in Nkanu West, prompting INEC to reschedule the contest and the Labour Party to field Kelvin as a replacement. He went on to defeat the incumbent and former Enugu State governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, to claim the seat.

According to his public biography, Chizoba attended Ezza Road Primary School and Nnodo Boys’ Secondary School, both in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, before proceeding to the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu for a qualification in Mass Communications and later to Ebonyi State University, where he obtained a law degree. It is this later credential that has become the focus of the discrepancy, with his NYSC discharge certificate reportedly dated more than two decades before he completed his legal studies. While Nigerians typically serve in the NYSC scheme only once, usually after a first degree, and may return to school for additional qualifications years afterward, the specific gap flagged in the documents has nonetheless fuelled questions about the consistency of the dates on his sworn records, alongside the more glaring anomaly of a primary school “completion” recorded at age five, a feat that would be virtually impossible under Nigeria’s standard six-year primary school cycle.

The disclosure lands in the middle of a broader national conversation around the authenticity and completeness of academic credentials submitted to the electoral umpire, a debate reignited in recent days by INEC’s publication of nomination documents for 2027 presidential candidates, including President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

That exercise has already triggered accusations, court threats and public mockery over missing or inconsistent educational records among Nigeria’s political class. Chizoba’s case, though tied to his earlier Senate nomination rather than the 2027 presidential race, is being read by many online commentators as another example of the credential inconsistencies that have long trailed Nigerian politicians’ sworn INEC filings.

As of the time of this report, neither Senator Chizoba nor his office had issued a public response to the discrepancies highlighted in the documents, and INEC has not commented specifically on his file.

The post detailing the certificates had drawn tens of thousands of views and generated brisk reaction on social media, with many users demanding clarification from the lawmaker.

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