Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has authorised University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and other academic institutions he attended to make public his certificates to anybody desiring to see them.

Obi gave the authorisation in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka on Tuesday by his media aide, Valentine Obienyem.

The academic certificates obtained by the presidential candidate have, of recent, become a subject of legal scrutiny.

This is against the backdrop of the suit instituted by a Labour Party chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, against UNN, praying the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the release of Obi’s academic records.

Arabambi is asking the court to compel the institution to provide certified true copies of records relating to a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy allegedly awarded to the former Anambra governor in 1984.

Obi, however, said in the statement that he was not afraid of public scrutiny of his academic records.

He argued that the country’s democratic process would further be emboldened if all public office seekers made public what they claimed to have as educational qualifications.

According to him, there is no objection to the request, as public scrutiny of academic credentials of public office seekers is a legitimate request, describing it as part of the beauty of democracy.

He said he had no objection to UNN making his academic certificates, records and other official documents available upon legitimate requests and within the limits permitted by law.

The NDC presidential candidate also gave his consent to other educational institutions he attended within and outside Nigeria to release his academic records in accordance with applicable laws and procedures.

He said that transparency and accountability were particularly important for individuals seeking public office, noting that public scrutiny should be fair, lawful and applied consistently to all presidential candidates.

“As a presidential candidate seeking the trust of Nigerians to lead our country, I welcome legitimate public interest in my background, qualifications and record,” he said.

Obi stated that anyone seeking the highest office in the country should be prepared to undergo reasonable scrutiny and demonstrate, through words and actions, that they had nothing to conceal from the people they were seeking to serve.

Obi also challenged other presidential candidates to make their educational qualifications and relevant records available for legitimate public scrutiny.

Such disclosure, he said, should be seen as an opportunity to strengthen public confidence, promote accountability and rebuild trust in political leadership.

The former governor maintained that leadership must reflect the values Nigerians expect in the society they seek to build, including transparency, integrity, accountability and respect for institutions.

“I therefore welcome the scrutiny of my academic background and remain committed to the principle that those who ask Nigerians for their trust must also be willing to earn that trust through openness and accountability,” he said.(NAN)

By David Torough, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a systematic integration of National Identification Numbers (NIN) into the national voter register as part of efforts to audit, verify and eliminate irregularities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Acting Chairman of the Commission, Prof.

Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the African Union (AU) Pre-Election Needs Assessment Mission led by former Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen.

Gumus said the exercise, being undertaken in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and through INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration portal, was aimed at ensuring that the voter register meets the highest standards of integrity as the electorate approaches the 100-million mark.

She said INEC was preparing to accredit and facilitate voting across 176,846 polling units, describing the scale of the 2027 election as a major operational undertaking.

“Through our strategic collaboration with the NIMC and the implementation of our continuous voter registration portal, we have systematically integrated NIN to audit, verify, and clean our national voter register,” Gumus said.

She assured Nigerians that the Commission remained committed to neutrality, independence and professionalism, stressing that every administrative decision would be guided by the law and that technology would be deployed to promote transparency.

Gumus said the outcome of the 2027 general election would ultimately reflect the will of Nigerian voters.

She cited recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and Osun as important testing grounds for reforms under the new Electoral Act 2026.

According to her, the Osun election recorded more than 94 per cent early-morning logistical opening rates, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and security arrangements performed optimally.

The Acting Chairman, however, acknowledged that the 2027 polls would present significant technological, logistical and political challenges given the size and diversity of the country.

She therefore called for stronger technical and institutional support from the AU, particularly in digital training for ad hoc election personnel, combating election-related disinformation and deepfakes, strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre, and improving inclusion and gender-mainstreaming.

Earlier, Mekonnen said the AU mission was in Nigeria to assess the country’s overall preparedness for the 2027 elections, identify potential gaps and risks, and determine areas where technical assistance could strengthen the electoral process.

He said the mission would examine the readiness and integrity of the voter register, the deployment of electoral technologies including BVAS and IReV, logistics, funding, security coordination, inclusion of women and young people, dispute-resolution mechanisms and results management.

Mekonnen stressed that timely funding was critical to successful election planning, while also underscoring the need for a credible, transparent and inclusive process that provides a fair playing field for all political actors.

The AU delegation’s engagement with INEC forms part of broader efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and electoral governance in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) said the commission is over 90 per cent set for the forthcoming Sept. 26 Local Government Council Elections in Enugu State.

ENSIEC had scheduled elections into 17 Chairmanship and 260 Councillorship positions in the state.

The Executive Chairman of ENSIEC, Prof.

Christian Ngwu, disclosed this on Monday in Enugu.

Ngwu noted that the commission was already putting finishing touches on every other arrangement and training ahead of the polls.

 “It is only a few things remaining and we are finalising and putting finishing touches on them,” he said.

The chairman said that the commission had trained the trainers of the ad hoc staff, already advertised for the ad hoc staff, while their training would be coming in a few days.

He said that “almost all materials for the elections are ready”.

Ngwu noted that the “non-sensitive materials will be leaving ENSIEC headquarters in Enugu last Thursday, Sept. 17, to council headquarters”.

According to him, the sensitive materials will be received and kept in a safe place for now.

 “We will soon conclude arrangements with transport unions/companies to ensure adequate logistics facilities.

 “The commission is already having a fruitful conclusion of security arrangements with security agencies in the state with the Nigeria Police as lead agency,” he said.

Ngwu said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would soon avail ENSIEC the authentic voters register of the state to work it.

 “I am calling on residents of Enugu State to troop out en masse to cast their votes for their preferred candidates without fear or fear.

 “ENSIEC will continue to provide a level playing field for all candidates in the elections.

 “The commission will provide a conducive and secure environment as well as ensure a peaceful, hitch-free, transparent and credible elections come Sept. 26 in the state,” he said.

He said that the commission had pasted notice of election in local government areas, which contained awareness on how to vote correctly and positive behavioural conduct expected during and after casting one’s vote.

It would be recalled that candidates from 11 political parties would be participating in the polls.

ENSIEC had two weeks ago concluded a train-the-trainer workshop for its officials, which included: 17 Electoral Officers (EOs) for each of the 17 council areas, 17 Assistant Electoral Officers, seven directors, five commissioners and an administrative secretary.