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Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make public the academic certificates and credentials submitted by candidates seeking elective office.
Obi made the call while reflecting on questions contained in the INEC nomination form, particularly those relating to mental fitness and certificate authenticity.
He said for openness in the electoral system, INEC should publish the certificates and credentials submitted by all aspirants.
According to Obi, making such documents publicly available would help ensure that those seeking public office are held to higher standards of accountability and integrity.
“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?”
“Transparency strengthens democracy and builds public trust. Nigeria’s problems are too serious for politics as usual. It is time for leadership defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to service.”
He noted that Section E, Question 1 of the nomination form asks whether a candidate has ever been adjudged a lunatic or declared a person of unsound mind, with only “Yes” or “No” as possible answers.
Obi said the question raises concerns about whether current political leaders are demonstrating the qualities of sound-minded leadership.
According to him, the prevailing realities in the country including kidnappings, unsafe highways, widespread hunger, and alleged diversion of public funds through questionable agencies and projects suggest that political leaders may be losing focus on urgent national priorities.
Obi argued that a responsible and sound-minded leadership would treat the country’s security and economic crises as a national emergency, mobilising all relevant institutions, security agencies, experts, and community leaders to address them with urgency.
He stressed that the survival, security, and stability of Nigeria should take precedence over political maneuvering and partisan interests, insisting that the nation requires decisive governance rather than political calculations.
Obi added that Nigeria’s mounting challenges demand leaders defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to public service, rather than politics driven by personal or partisan interests.
Earlier, Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the NDC, confirmed that Obi’s name had been uploaded to the INEC portal.
This comes amid a court ruling which voided the registration process of the opposition party.
