Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has challenged institutions to release his official records, including his academic documents, for public scrutiny, saying he has nothing to hide.
Obi made the call during an interview on 90 Minutes Africa while responding to 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 undergo comprehensive scrutiny and be accountable for their records and past actions.
He specifically called on his alma mater, University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, to release all documents contained in his academic file, including his admission records 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 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.
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He said public officials should not shy away from scrutiny but should be willing to account for their past actions and records.
The controversy over Obi’s credentials comes amid a legal challenge filed by politician Abayomi Arabambi against UNN over the alleged refusal to release details of the NDC presidential candidate’s academic record.
In a fresh suit, Arabambi said he requested a Certified True Copy, CTC, of Obi’s certificate, numbered D000198, relating to a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy purportedly issued by UNN in 1984, but that the institution declined to provide the document.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2144/2026 and filed by his lawyer, Anderson Asemota, on September 9 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, states that letters had been sent to the university requesting the documents.
In the court documents, Arabambi, a former factional spokesperson of the Labour Party, named the Vice-Chancellor and UNN as the first and second respondents, respectively.
He is seeking an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to perform their statutory duty under the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, by determining and responding to his request dated July 16 in accordance with the law.
According to Arabambi’s affidavit setting out the facts of the case, he requested a CTC of Certificate No. D000198, stated to have been issued by UNN to Gregory Peter Onwubuasi Obi for 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 further stated that the respondents did not issue him a written notice of refusal identifying the specific provision of the Act relied upon in denying access to the requested information.
Daily Trust
