According to Peter Obi, the Labour party’s presidential contender for the 2023 election, no one who used fraudulent documents to gain access to power will act honourably while in that position.
In an interview with Arise TV on Monday, October 2, the former governor of Anambra state stated that while having the highest educational credentials is not required to be a great leader, one must be honest and honourable about their past.
“On issue of qualification, I never said anything with regard to improving the degree or doing this. The issue of qualification is the issue of leaders making statements, doing things that are honest and truthful. This is an issue of honour and integrity. It is the foundation on which you build society.
If you look at what is happening in Nigeria today, there is so many issues of certification, age, all sorts of, one falsification or the other, all over within the leaders. There is no way people can be doing this and be able to do the right things, because that means they are living a falsified life, and that is not good morally and a sign it should be giving to the society.”
The LP 2023 candidate then cited a number of notable international leaders and innovators who, despite having poor educational backgrounds, no formal education, or even dropped out of school, went on to accomplish great things that forever altered the course of human history.
“You don’t necessarily need to have all the degrees in the world to be great, but you need to be honourable about your past so we can know where exactly you are and everything. The world abounds by great people who have poor past and no education, and that formed part of their greatness.” he said
When asked if he will work with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to develop Nigeria, Obi said;
“We are at a point where we are challenging the process, these are part of what makes a nation. The process through which people come into office or assume or achieve anything is far more fundamental than what they do thereafter. It is important that people come through the right door and not just jump in through the window.
As far as I am concerned, again, when it comes to issue of working, even opposition is part of building the process of having the proper government. What is important is that we challenge the process through which this government came into being, and that challenge is still there.”
