- Peter Obi said politicians with forged certificates must face strict punishment to restore credibility in Nigeria’s politics.
- He called on INEC to thoroughly scrutinize all academic certificates before the 2027 elections.
- Obi warned that rewarding certificate forgery undermines truth, honesty, and leadership values among Nigerian youths.
- He urged that electoral reforms should mandate candidates to submit certificates months before elections for verification.
Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has renewed calls for a stronger stance against certificate forgery among politicians, describing it as a criminal act that should not be tolerated in Nigeria’s democracy.
Writing on his verified X handle on Monday, Obi criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he termed a lack of serious scrutiny of candidates’ certificates before elections.
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According to him, this failure has created room for deceitful politicians to thrive while young Nigerians are left without role models.
“How do you tell young Nigerians to be honest and upright when those they are supposed to emulate are dishonest and criminal in their conduct?” Obi asked.
He stressed that certificate forgery is regarded as a grave crime worldwide and should be treated with equal seriousness in Nigeria. Obi urged that ahead of the 2027 general elections, INEC should use the available time to investigate past cases and prevent candidates with false claims from gaining access to the ballot.
Obi also called for urgent amendments to the Electoral Act, recommending that all aspirants! incumbents and new candidates alike must submit their academic certificates to INEC immediately after party primaries, at least six months before elections, to allow time for thorough verification.
“We must end the era where forgery and deceit are rewarded with power. True leadership must begin with truth,” Obi insisted.
