Peter Obi Urges INEC to Verify Candidates’ Certificates Before 2027 Elections

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities to thoroughly verify academic certificates submitted by political candidates before future elections, particularly the 2027 general polls.

Obi made the appeal in a statement shared via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, warning that failure to verify candidates’ credentials could allow individuals with forged documents and questionable integrity to occupy public offices.

In a post titled “The Danger of Making Crime a Norm,” Obi lamented that many Nigerians currently in leadership positions are “parading forged certificates backed by fraudulent affidavits,” which were allegedly used to pass INEC and security screenings during the 2023 elections.

He wrote: “Whenever I talk about Nigeria being a crime scene, those who are part of the criminality and their hirelings will quickly start attacking and blackmailing me. But how do you tell people that those whose integrity, character, and behaviour should be exemplary have become the source of our national decay?”

The former Anambra State governor stressed that certificate forgery is a grave criminal offence globally and should attract immediate disqualification and prosecution.

Recalling his visit to Indonesia earlier this year, Obi said he met with the country’s General Elections Commission chairman, who explained that any candidate found guilty of presenting forged certificates would face “immediate disqualification and prosecution.”

“He looked at me, surprised, and said, ‘If someone can forge a certificate, how can that person be trusted to lead others?’” Obi recounted.

Obi expressed disappointment that in Nigeria, INEC rarely investigates or penalises such offences, with courts often dismissing forgery-related cases as “pre-election matters.”

He urged INEC to use the time before the 2027 elections to review and investigate all past allegations of certificate forgery and enforce stricter verification processes.

According to him, the Electoral Act should mandate that all candidates submit their academic credentials to INEC immediately after party primaries — at least six months before the elections — and make them public for verification within 90 days.

He also suggested that the same rule apply to appointed officials, including ministers and aides, to promote accountability across all levels of governance.

“We must deal with certificate forgery holistically with the seriousness it deserves. Criminal offences should not be dismissed as procedural matters,” 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.”

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