•Peter Obi
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on Monday in Abuja filled out the inquiry form of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While his name has been uploaded to the Commission’s server, he left the nation’s political leaders with a poignant question, reports Daily Trust.
Writing on his X (formerly Twitter) handle yesterday, Obi challenged the electoral umpire to make the academic backgrounds of all contestants a matter of public record.
He wrote “What truly should be our priority now as leaders of a nation?” the former Anambra State Governor asked, explaining that “this question has become necessary given where we are today as a nation and where we are supposed to be.”
Reflecting on his experience filling out the official documentation, Obi revealed that specific queries on the electoral form sparked deeper concerns about the current state of governance in Nigeria.
“While completing my INEC nomination form yesterday, Section E, Question 1 caught my attention,” Obi stated. “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?”
He pointed to the stark contrast between the political class’s preoccupation with elections and the grueling daily realities of ordinary citizens.
“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,” he noted.
“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?” Obi questioned.
The NDC presidential candidate argued that a truly rational leadership would pivot away from partisan gamesmanship to address these pressing national emergencies.
“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 prioritized over the pursuit of political advantage.”
Obi also touched upon another controversial segment of the INEC documentation, demanding total transparency regarding the credentials of those seeking to lead the country.
“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,” Obi noted.
To bridge the gap of public distrust, the former governor challenged the electoral umpire to make the academic backgrounds of all contestants a matter of public record.
“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.”
