Peter Obi Calls for Mandatory Submission of Certificates Six Months Before Elections

Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has called for a new rule requiring all political candidates to submit their academic certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) six months before any election.

In a post on his X account on Monday, Obi said the proposal should be included in the amendment of Nigeria’s electoral law. He explained that candidates should be required to make their certificates and educational details—including schools attended, courses studied, and years of study—public within 90 days for verification.

According to him, this process should also apply to appointed officials, including ministers and aides, as a way to promote accountability and prevent dishonesty in governance.

Obi appeared to reference the recent controversy involving the Minister of Science and Technology, Godfrey Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery. He stressed that issues of forged certificates should be treated as serious criminal offences, not mere procedural matters.

He cited Indonesia as an example of a country where officials found guilty of presenting fake academic credentials are removed from office and prosecuted. Obi noted that although Nigeria has similar laws, INEC rarely verifies certificates before elections.

He criticised INEC for overlooking complaints of forgery, adding that when such issues are raised after elections, the courts dismiss them as pre-election matters. He also faulted the commission for failing to revisit or investigate these offences before subsequent elections.

Obi expressed concern that individuals with questionable credentials continue to pass through all layers of security and administrative screening. He described it as a “double tragedy” that many of them also swear affidavits attesting to the authenticity of their documents.

He urged INEC to take advantage of the time before the 2027 general elections to investigate past cases of certificate forgery and false claims. According to him, restoring honesty in public service is essential to rebuilding trust and integrity in governance.