Senator Chizoba completed primary school at age 5 according to INEC documents
Documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Senator Chukwu Kelvin Chizoba have raised questions over inconsistencies in his declared date of birth, educational history and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records.
Chizoba, who represents Enugu East Senatorial District, submitted the documents as part of his bid to seek re-election in the 2027 general elections.
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A review of the records by SaharaReporters reportedly found details that appear difficult to reconcile, particularly concerning the senator’s age and the timeline of his academic qualifications.
According to the documents, Chizoba declared under oath that he was born on January 10, 1972.
However, the same records reportedly show that he completed his primary education and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1977.
If the dates contained in the documents are accurate, the timeline would mean that Chizoba completed primary school at about five years old.
That appears unusual when compared with the conventional six-year primary education structure in Nigeria.
Discrepancies in university and NYSC records
The documents also reportedly contain a significant discrepancy involving Chizoba’s university qualification and his NYSC history.
In his sworn submission to INEC, the senator stated that he obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree on June 22, 2021.
However, the NYSC certificate included in the documents indicates that he completed the compulsory national service programme between June 9, 1997 and June 8, 1998.
The dates suggest that the senator completed NYSC about 23 years before the date he declared for obtaining his LL.B degree.
The apparent gap has raised questions about the sequence of his academic qualifications and national service records.
SaharaReporters contacted Chizoba to seek clarification on the discrepancies and give him an opportunity to explain the information contained in his sworn documents.
The questions reportedly focused on how his declared date of birth corresponds with the year he obtained his primary school certificate.
He was also asked to clarify how he could have completed NYSC in 1998, decades before the 2021 date listed for his LL.B qualification.
As of the time of filing the report, Chizoba had reportedly not responded to requests for comment.