•Peter Obi
Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi has challenged institutions to make public his official records, including his academic documents, insisting that he has nothing to hide.
Obi made the call during an interview on 90 Minutes Africa while responding to questions about claims by Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, that presidential candidates in the country have files with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The former Anambra State governor said he was unaware of having any FBI file and had never had dealings with the agency.
“I don’t know. I’ve never met the FBI,” he said.
Obi said anyone seeking public office should be prepared to subject himself to comprehensive scrutiny and accountability.
He specifically called on the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to release all documents contained in his academic records, including his admission documents and academic results from his first year through graduation.
“I’m begging the University of Nigeria to make available every document in my file, how I was admitted and all my results from year one to final year,” he said.
Obi also urged institutions where he attended executive programmes to make his records available for public scrutiny.
They include Lagos Business School, the London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Harvard Business School, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD and IMD.
He said transparency should be a requirement for anyone aspiring to hold public office, arguing that leaders must be willing to demonstrate the values they expect from society.
“If you seek public life, you should subject yourself to public scrutiny because you are a leader and you must exemplify the values that make society work,” he said.
Obi also challenged other presidential candidates to adopt the same level of openness, saying politicians with questionable records should be prepared to explain their past to Nigerians.
He said public officials should not shy away from scrutiny but should be willing to account for their past actions and records.
The issue over Obi’s credentials came to the fore in this election season after a politician, Abayomi Arabambi, sued UNN over the alleged refusal to release details of the academic record of the NDC presidential candidate.
Arabambi, in a fresh suit, said he had requested a certified true copy (CTC) of Obi’s certificate number D000198 in respect of a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy issued in 1984 in line with the Freedom of Information Act, but the institution turned down his demand.
In the originating motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026 and filed by his lawyer, Anderson Asemota, on September 9 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, said letters had been written to the university.
In the court documents made available on Saturday, the applicant, a former factional spokesperson for Labour Party, named the VC and UNN as 1st and 2nd respondents.
He sought an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to perform their statutory duty under the FoI Act, 2011, by determining and responding to his request dated July 16 in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
According to Arabambi in the affidavit setting out the facts, by a letter dated 16th July, 2026, the applicant requested a CTC of Certificate No. D000198, stated to have been issued by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi in respect of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy in 1984.
“The applicant also requested a Certified True Copy of the certificate, academic record or other official records upon which the said degree was predicated.
“The said request was duly delivered to and received by the respondents on 6th August, 2026.
“The applicant expressly made the request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and stated the public-interest and accountability basis for the request.
“The respondents failed and/or neglected to provide the requested information within the period prescribed by the Act,” he said.
Arabambi stated that the respondents did not communicate to him a written notice of refusal identifying the specific provision of the Act relied upon for refusing access.
