"I [went] through the House of Assembly, which I did for four years. So, it is a form of higher service as far as I'm concerned," Shittu said.
Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communication, has declared that his skipping the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme is different from the case of the former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.
He disclosed this on Friday in Abuja, while addressing journalists at the venue of the screening exercise for the governorship aspirants seeking to contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Shittu, Adeosun's was a clear case of submission of fake document, while his case was that he not submit any certificate at all, having engaged in "higher service", as a member of Oyo State House of Assembly.
Shittu said he did not break any law.
He said: "Kemi unfortunately has a fake certificate; I didn't present any certificate. I do not have one. I was simply following the constitution requirement that if you are qualified to contest an election and you contest, it is compulsory for you to serve the nation in the capacity in which you won an election.
"I left university in 1978 and law school in 1979, and the constitution [is clear] on anyone who qualifies to contest an election or who has gone through an election and wins. I [went] through the House of Assembly, which I did for four years. So, it is a form of higher service as far as I'm concerned and even now, I am still in service."
Asked if he was worried about any backlash, the minister said he was not worried, stating that "Do you see any worry on my face? I don't think so except someone has a superior argument and proves it."