Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities to verify and authenticate the academic and professional certificates of all political candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi made this appeal following the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, amid controversies surrounding discrepancies in his academic records. He commended Nnaji's resignation as a "decent and honourable step," likening it to the earlier resignation of former Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun under President Muhammadu Buhari for similar reasons.
Emphasizing that certificate forgery and false declarations are serious criminal offenses that undermine democratic integrity, Obi lamented the lack of due diligence by INEC in properly vetting certificates submitted by candidates at various levels of government.
He called for an immediate nationwide verification of certificates from the presidency to local government councillors, urging for transparency and accountability to restore public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process. Obi also advocated for comprehensive national reforms on background checks and qualifications for public office holders, citing Ghana as a positive example with rigorous candidate scrutiny.
“Let truth, transparency, and accountability form the foundation of leadership in our dear country. Only then can we build a Nigeria where public service is anchored on honour, not deceit. We must get it right,” Obi stated.
He stressed that these steps are essential to ensuring free, fair, and credible elections in 2027 and to rooting out dishonesty and criminality at the heart of leadership.