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The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make public the academic certificates and credentials submitted by candidates seeking elective office, saying the move would strengthen transparency and public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Obi said the proposal followed his review of INEC’s nomination forms, particularly the section requiring candidates to disclose whether they had ever presented forged certificates to the electoral commission.
Obi said: “Further in the same Section E, Question 6, was: ‘Have you ever presented a forged certificate to INEC?’ Again, the answer is either Yes or No.
“This raises another important question: Why shouldn’t INEC, in the interest of ensuring that our leaders are exemplary in following the rules and to strengthen public confidence in our electoral process, publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by every candidate seeking elective office?”
According to him, public access to candidates’ educational credentials would improve accountability and reinforce trust in democratic institutions.
“Transparency strengthens democracy and builds public trust,” he added.
Obi also questioned whether Nigeria’s current political leadership had demonstrated the qualities of responsible governance, saying another question in the nomination form asking whether a candidate had ever been declared to be of unsound mind prompted deeper reflection on the country’s leadership challenges.
“Can we, as the political leaders of today’s Nigeria, truly say we are exhibiting the characteristics of a sound mind?” he asked.
The former Anambra State governor argued that political activities should not overshadow the country’s pressing security and economic crises.
“When Nigerians, including children and security personnel, are being abducted into the bushes, citizens cannot travel safely on our highways, several million Nigerians are uncertain where their next meal will come from, and several billions are being siphoned frivolously through non-existent agencies and projects, should politics really be our primary preoccupation?” Obi said.
He maintained that the country’s worsening insecurity and economic hardship required urgent national attention rather than political manoeuvring.
“A sound-minded leadership would have declared these existential challenges a national emergency and immediately mobilised all relevant institutions, security agencies, experts, community leaders, and other critical stakeholders to confront them with urgency and resolve.
“At a moment like this, the survival, security, and stability of Nigeria must take precedence over every other consideration. This is a time for decisive action, not political calculation or the pursuit of partisan advantage.”
Obi urged political leaders to prioritise competence, integrity and service, insisting that Nigeria’s challenges demand decisive leadership rather than what he described as “politics as usual.”
