Peter Obi Reacts to Minister Uche Nnaji’s Forgery Scandal — “The Danger of Making Crime a Norm”
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has reacted sharply to the growing outrage surrounding the alleged certificate forgery scandal involving Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, describing the incident as another sign of Nigeria’s deep moral decay and the dangerous normalization of crime in public life.
In a strongly worded statement titled “The Danger of Making Crime a Norm,” Obi condemned the rising trend of forgery and dishonesty among Nigeria’s political elite, warning that the country cannot progress while rewarding falsehood and corruption.
“Whenever I talk about Nigeria being a crime scene, those who are part of the criminality and their hirelings will quickly start their noise-making, attacking and blackmailing me. But how do you tell people that those whose integrity, character and behaviour are supposed to be exemplary and emulated in society have become the very source of the nation’s decay?” Obi asked.
The former Anambra State governor lamented that certificate forgery is a serious criminal offence in every civilized country but has become trivialized in Nigeria due to a culture of impunity and institutional compromise.
“In Indonesia, where I visited earlier this year, I met with the Chairman of the General Elections Commission. When I asked him what happens if someone contests an election with a forged certificate, he looked shocked and said: ‘That attracts immediate disqualification and prosecution.’
He added, ‘If someone can forge a certificate, how can that person be trusted to lead others?’” Obi stated.
Obi contrasted this with Nigeria’s reality, where he accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary of failing to treat certificate forgery as a criminal matter, instead dismissing such cases as “pre-election issues.”
“Though the laws in Nigeria are clear that forgery is a crime punishable by disqualification, INEC makes no effort to scrutinize certificates before elections. When you raise such issues, courts dismiss them as mere technicalities,” he lamented.
He also expressed concern about how individuals with questionable integrity still manage to pass through the multiple layers of screening required for ministerial, parliamentary, and other public appointments.
“Even more disturbing, amounting to double tragedy, is that most of these dishonest people swore to an affidavit before a law court attesting to the authenticity of the documents they presented,” Obi said.
‘We Must Stop Rewarding Deceit With Power’
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Obi called on INEC to begin immediate investigations into past complaints of certificate forgery and false claims.
He also proposed a legislative reform that would make it mandatory for all political candidates — including incumbents, ministers, and aides — to submit their academic certificates six months before elections for public scrutiny.
“Our Electoral Act must ensure that all candidates submit their academic certificates to INEC immediately after party primaries. These documents should be made public for verification within 90 days. The same process must apply to appointed officials, because when dishonesty starts from the top, it spreads to every level of governance,” Obi said.
The former governor concluded with a stern warning that Nigeria must not continue to reward falsehood and corruption:
“We must deal with certificate forgery holistically, with the seriousness and level of criminality it deserves. Criminal offences should not be dismissed as mere procedural matters. We must end the era where forgery and deceit are rewarded with power.
True leadership must begin with truth. A New Nigeria is POssible.”
