-
Says Nigeria needs credentials integrity from public office holders
Citing a particular section to buttress his argument on holding those seeking public office to higher standards of accountability and integrity, Obi said a Yes or No answer from candidates on such important issues as certificates and credentials submitted to the Commission is not helping to sanitise the electoral process.
Hear him: “Have you ever presented a forged certificate to INEC?” Again, the answer is either Yes or No. This raises another important question: Why shouldn’t INEC, in the interest of ensuring that our leaders are exemplary in following the rules and to strengthen public confidence in our electoral process, publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by every candidate seeking elective office?
“Transparency strengthens democracy and builds public trust. Nigeria’s problems are too serious for politics as usual. It is time for leadership defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to service.”
Furthermore, Obi picked holes in Section E, Question 1 of the nomination form which ask whether a candidate has ever been adjudged a lunatic or declared a person of unsound mind, noting that having only “Yes” or “No” as possible answers does not give anything away because the question raises concerns about whether current political leaders are actually demonstrating the qualities of sound-minded leadership.
He stated that the prevailing realities in the country, ranging from kidnappings, unsafe highways, widespread hunger, and alleged diversion of public funds through questionable agencies and projects, suggest that political leaders may be losing focus on urgent national priorities, arguing that “a responsible and sound-minded leadership would treat the country’s security and economic crises as a national emergency, mobilising all relevant institutions, security agencies, experts, and community leaders to address them with urgency.”
Also maintaining that the survival, security, and stability of Nigeria should take precedence over political maneuvering and partisan interests, the NDC Standard bearer insisted that the nation requires decisive governance rather than political calculations, noting also that Nigeria’s mounting challenges demand leaders defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to public service, rather than politics driven by personal or partisan interests.
Speaking earlier, the National Leader of NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, confirmed that Obi’s name had been uploaded to the INEC portal, despite the recent court ruling voiding the registration process of the opposition party.
