‘I have nothing to hide’, Obi asks UNN to release his records

Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called for the release of his official records, including academic documents, stating he has nothing to hide. During an interview on 90 Minutes Africa, Obi addressed claims by Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, about presidential candidates having files with the FBI.

Obi clarified that he had never met the FBI and was unaware of any FBI file existing for him. He urged the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and other institutions where he studied, such as Lagos Business School, London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, and others, to make his academic records available for public scrutiny.

Transparency should be a requirement for anyone aspiring to hold public office, Obi argued, as leaders must exemplify the values that make society work. Other presidential candidates should also adopt the same level of openness, he said, as politicians with questionable records should be prepared to explain their past to Nigerians.

The issue of Obi's credentials arose when a politician, Abayomi Arabambi, sued UNN for allegedly refusing to release details of Obi's academic record. Arabambi requested a certified true copy (CTC) of Obi's Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy certificate from 1984, in line with the Freedom of Information Act, but UNN denied his request.