Peter Obi Demands INEC Publish Academic Credentials Of Candidates

0

LAGOS – Presidential candidate of the Nige­ria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on the Inde­pendent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC) to publish the aca­demic certificates and credentials submitted to it by every candidate seeking elective office to boost pub­lic confidence.

Obi also charged politicians not to prioritise the pursuit of politi­cal advantage over the survival of Nigeria.

He stated this on Tuesday in his X, formerly Twitter, pointing out that he thought about the is­sues when he was completing the inquiry form of INEC on Monday, as a poser for the nation’s political leaders.

“What should be our priority? ‘, Obi queries political leaders.

Obi asked a very pertinent question to the nation’s political leaders: “What truly should be our priority now as leaders of a nation?”

The former Anambra State governor explained that “this ques­tion has become necessary given where we are today as a nation and where we are supposed to be.”

“While completing my INEC nomination form yesterday, Sec­tion E, Question 1 caught my attention. It asks: “Have you ever been adjudged a lunatic or been declared a person of unsound mind?” The answer is either Yes or No. That question got me thinking: Can we, as the political leaders of today’s Nigeria, truly say we are ex­hibiting characteristics of a sound mind?

“When our children are being abducted into the bushes, when citizens cannot travel safely on our highways, and when several million Nigerians are uncertain where their next meal will come from; when several billions are be­ing siphoned frivolously through non-existent agencies and projects. In such adverse circumstances as we are, should politics really be our primary preoccupation?

“A leadership exercising a sound mind would have convened an emergency meeting of political leaders across various parties and other critical stakeholders to con­front these existential challenges facing our nation today. The sur­vival of Nigeria should have been prioritised over the pursuit of po­litical advantage.

“Further, in the same Section E, Question 6, was “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 for public confidence in our 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’s time for leadership defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to service. A new Nigeria is possible.”