Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, says he has no objection to the verification of his academic qualifications, following reports of a legal push for certified copies of his university certificate.
Obi, in a statement issued on Tuesday in response to reports on social media, said he was aware of a case brought by an individual or group asking for certified true copies of his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, which he obtained from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1984, along with other records tied to his admission there.
He said he had asked UNN to release, within the bounds of the law, his certificates and other documents relating to his time at the institution to anyone who makes a legitimate request.
He extended the same permission to every other school he has attended, in Nigeria and abroad.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said he holds strongly to the idea that public office seekers owe the public transparency, though he stressed that any scrutiny applied to him should be applied fairly and equally to all contenders for the presidency.
He said he was ready to face whatever level of examination is reasonable for someone seeking Nigeria’s highest office, arguing that leaders must show, not just claim, that they have nothing to hide.
Obi went on to urge other presidential candidates to voluntarily open up their own academic records to public scrutiny, describing this as a chance to build trust rather than a burden.
He argued that a transparent, accountable Nigeria has to start with the conduct of the people asking to lead it.
He closed by reaffirming his openness to scrutiny of his academic history, saying that anyone asking Nigerians for their trust must be prepared to earn it through honesty and openness.
