Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has lambasted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allowing candidates with forged certificates to contest public office, urging the electoral body to verify all academic credentials ahead of the 2027 polls.
In a fiery post on X titled “The danger of making crime a norm,” Obi warned that Nigeria risks becoming “a crime scene” if leaders with questionable integrity keep holding public positions.
“Whenever I talk about Nigeria being a crime scene, those who are part of the criminality and their hirelings will quickly start their noise-making, attacking and blackmailing me,” Obi said.
He questioned how a nation could expect morality from its youth when its leaders are “criminals and dishonest.”
“Certificate forgery is a serious criminal offence in all countries of the world. It is one of the most corrupt practices heavily punished,” he said, recalling how Indonesia swiftly disqualifies and prosecutes anyone caught forging certificates.
Obi said: “He looked at me, surprised and shocked, and said, ‘That attracts immediate disqualification and prosecution. It is a criminal offence. If someone can forge a certificate, how can that person be trusted to lead others?’”
He berated INEC for “making no effort to scrutinize certificates before elections” and for dismissing forgery complaints as “pre-election matters.”
To curb the menace, Obi urged the electoral body to start investigations into past forgery cases and to make all certificates and educational details of candidates public at least six months before elections.
“When dishonesty starts from the top, it spreads to every level of governance,” he warned.
“We must deal with certificate forgery holistically with the seriousness and level of criminality it deserves. Criminal offences should not be dismissed as mere procedural matters,” he added.
Concluding, Obi said: “We must end the era where forgery and deceit are rewarded with power. True leadership must begin with truth. A New Nigeria is POssible.”
