Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his reported attempt to prevent a foreign court from releasing records concerning his past, saying Nigeria’s integrity must take precedence over individual interests.
In a statement made available to The News Chronicle, Obi said his loyalty to Nigeria remained unwavering, stressing that he had never sought foreign citizenship despite the growing trend among Nigerians to do so.
He said he had prayed for the country and its leaders on Sunday but was deeply saddened by what he described as the direction Nigeria was heading.
“It is profoundly embarrassing that we have reached a point where a sitting President is asking a foreign court to withhold records concerning his past, particularly records relating to matters of legitimate public interest,” Obi said.
According to him, leadership requires the courage and humility to confront one’s past, acknowledge mistakes, provide honest explanations and, where necessary, apologise and seek forgiveness.
He argued that true leadership is strengthened, rather than weakened, when a leader accepts responsibility instead of shielding controversial aspects of his past from legitimate public scrutiny.
Obi said the issue was particularly concerning where educational credentials were involved, arguing that questions surrounding a leader’s primary and secondary education should not remain unresolved or be addressed mainly through legal proceedings.
“Nigerians deserve clear, credible, and verifiable explanations, especially when such had been submitted in the past,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor said his greatest concern was the example such conduct could set for more than 200 million Nigerians, particularly the over 30 million young people in schools.
He stressed that the nation’s highest office should embody integrity, accountability, transparency and ethical leadership.
Obi maintained that an imperfect past was part of the human condition, but said what mattered was the willingness to confront it with humility and honesty, make amends where necessary and place national interest above personal ambition.
He questioned when Nigeria’s political class would fully recognise that individual ambitions are temporary, while the nation endures.
“The Presidency is an office held for a season; the moral standards established by those who occupy it can influence generations,” he said.
Obi added that Nigeria was “greater than any one person” and that the integrity of the Republic must always come before individual interests.
