Presidential candidate Peter Obi has thrown down a challenge to critics and rivals alike, declaring he has nothing to hide and inviting anyone to publish any official record connected to him — academic transcripts included — wherever in the world such a file might exist.
Speaking in an interview on 90 Minutes Africa, the former Anambra State governor was asked to respond to claims by Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, that the country’s presidential candidates have FBI files. Obi dismissed any personal knowledge of such a file.
“I don’t know. I’ve never met the FBI,” he said, adding that he has never had dealings with the agency.
Obi said he welcomes full public scrutiny, arguing that anyone seeking public office has an obligation to be transparent and accountable to the people they hope to lead.
Nsukka Records, and More
In a striking move, Obi said he intends to formally ask his alma mater, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to release his entire academic file — from how he was admitted to his results from first year through graduation.
“I’m begging the University of Nigeria to make available every document in my file, how I was admitted and all my results from year one to final year,” he said.
He extended the same offer to the institutions where he has undertaken executive education, including Lagos Business School, the London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Harvard Business School, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD, and IMD.
A Challenge to Other Candidates
Obi insisted that leadership demands openness, saying public figures must be willing to model the values they expect of society.
“If you seek public life, you should subject yourself to public scrutiny because you are a leader and you must exemplify the values that make society work,” he said.
He went further, urging his fellow presidential candidates to match his level of transparency, adding that anyone carrying past mistakes owes Nigerians an honest explanation rather than concealment.
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