Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies to conduct thorough background checks on all political candidates before the 2027 general elections, warning that the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it.
Obi, in a statement issued by his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, under the Peter Obi Media Research (POMR), lamented that many individuals currently holding public office gained entry using forged certificates and fraudulent affidavits, yet managed to pass through the scrutiny of INEC, security agencies, and even the Senate.
According to him, the process of getting into public office is more important than the actions taken afterward, stressing that Nigeria must not continue rewarding deceit and corruption.
“Certificate forgery is a serious crime across the world,” Obi stated. “In Indonesia, for instance, presenting a forged certificate leads to immediate disqualification and prosecution. But in Nigeria, INEC overlooks such issues, and the courts dismiss them as mere ‘pre-election matters’.”
Obi criticized how some politicians, despite swearing false affidavits to validate their forged credentials, continue to occupy positions of power. He warned that this pattern encourages dishonesty and criminality in governance.
He called on INEC to begin immediate investigations into past certificate forgery allegations and to make the verification of academic records a compulsory step for all 2027 candidates.
“Our electoral law should mandate all candidates to submit their academic certificates immediately after party primaries—at least six months before elections. These documents must be made public for verification within 90 days,” Obi said.
He added that the same rule should apply to appointed officials, including ministers and aides, since corruption at the top spreads across every level of government.
Obi concluded by urging the Senate, INEC, and other relevant institutions to treat certificate forgery as a criminal act, not a procedural issue.
“We must end the era where forgery and deceit are rewarded with power. True leadership begins with truth. A new Nigeria is possible,” he affirmed.
