Obi faults move to remove certificate forgery, age falsification from election tribunal grounds

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has criticised moves by lawmakers to remove certificate forgery, age falsification and false declarations as grounds for challenging election results at tribunals.

In a statement released late Friday, Obi described the development as a troubling contradiction that raises serious concerns about the priorities of Nigeria’s political system.

According to him, the same lawmakers proposing a fine of ₦10 million and up to two years imprisonment for dual political party membership are also attempting to remove what he described as serious acts of deception from the list of offences that could invalidate an election.

Obi argued that such a move contradicts the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria.

He said in any serious democracy, deceiving citizens in order to gain political power remains one of the gravest offences in public life.

The former Anambra State governor noted that submitting false documents, falsifying one’s age, forging certificates and making dishonest declarations to electoral authorities should automatically lead to disqualification and criminal prosecution.

According to him, the emerging electoral framework appears to focus more on protecting political structures than on upholding truth and integrity in public office.

“There is no justification for prioritising punishment for party alignment over punishing false certificates, forgery and other forms of deception in the pursuit of public office,” he said.

Obi further warned that laws should strengthen democratic values rather than weaken them, stressing that legislation must promote ethical leadership and accountability among those seeking to govern.

“A nation cannot rise above the integrity of its leaders,” he stated.

He added that if Nigeria truly seeks a better future, its laws must defend truth, character, competence and accountability in public leadership.