The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has decried the prevalence of certificate forgery among public officials in the country.
He, therefore. called for swift and decisive action against those found culpable to serve as deterrent to others.
Obi made the remarks in a statement on Monday in Lagos.
He was reacting to a Premium Times investigation which reported that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned a Bachelor of Science degree held by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji.
The report claimed the minister admitted in court that the university never issued him a degree certificate, as he did not complete his studies at the institution.
According to court filings before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nnaji had sued the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the University of Nigeria, its Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, a former Acting Vice-Chancellor, and the university’s Senate over the matter.
Describing the development as a symptom of Nigeria’s deepening moral decay, Obi said those expected to set ethical standards for the nation had become “the very source of its moral collapse.”
“When dishonesty is exhibited by those who should be role models, it corrupts the moral compass of society and diminishes what young people see as acceptable conduct,” the former Anambra governor said.
Obi compared Nigeria’s lax enforcement to practices in Indonesia, where, according to him, the discovery of forged academic qualifications leads to immediate disqualification and prosecution.
He lamented that in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) often fails to verify academic credentials before elections or act on forgery allegations afterward.
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“Although our laws prescribe immediate disqualification for forgery, INEC neither scrutinises certificates before elections nor investigates credible complaints after,” Obi said.
“Worse still, when such issues are raised in court, they are dismissed as ‘pre-election matters,’ denying these criminal acts the punishment they deserve.”
He expressed concern that individuals with questionable credentials continue to pass through multiple layers of institutional scrutiny, including security vetting, parliamentary screening, and executive appointment processes.
“Even more troubling,” Obi noted, “is that many of these individuals swear false affidavits in court to validate forged documents.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Obi proposed reforms to strengthen transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
He urged that all candidates for public office, whether incumbents or new aspirants, be required to submit their academic certificates to INEC immediately after party primaries, at least six months before the polls. These documents, he said, should be made public for verification within 90 days.
“This verification process must also apply to appointed officials, including ministers and aides,” Obi stressed. “When dishonesty starts at the top, it filters down through every level of governance, as we are witnessing today.”
Calling for greater institutional integrity, Obi insisted that criminal offences such as forgery should never be treated as mere procedural issues.
“We must end the era where deceit and forgery are rewarded with power,” he said. “True leadership must begin with truth.”
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