Certificate, age forgers not fit to govern Nigeria

Peter Obi, an opposition figure who lost the 2023 presidential election to incumbent President Bola Tinubu, says a cheat cannot lead Nigeria.

Obi’s innuendoes about certificate and age forgery is an indirect jab at President Tinubu, whom his opponents accused of doing such.

The President had tried futilely to block another opponent, Abubakar Atiku, from accessing his academic records received from the Chicago State University. His academic qualification and age have stirred controversies, especially from the opposition.

Obi said, “We are at the point where we are challenging the process. These are part of what makes a nation. The process through which people come into office or assume anything is far more fundamental than what they do thereafter.

“The issue of qualification is the issue of leaders making statements doing things that are honest and truthful. This is an issue of honour and integrity, and it is the foundation on which you build the society.”

“There is no way people can do this and be able to do the right things. Because that means they are living a falsified life. And that is not good, morally, and the sign should be given to society.”

The Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal unanimously upheld the election, a ruling the opposition rejected.

Both opposition former presidential candidates claimed they won the election and, currently, awaiting the Supreme Court outcome on their petitions.