₦airaland Forum

"Obi Faults Lawmakers’ Removal of Certificate Forgery as Ground for Election Petition."

Former presidential candidate and African Democratic Congress chieftain, Peter Obi, has faulted the recommendation of N10 million fine against politicians with dual membership and deleting certificate forgery, age falsification and false declarations as grounds for challenging an election in a tribunal.

Mr Obi, in a statement on X on Friday, said the removal of certificate forgery as ground in election petition was a direct contradiction to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), accusing the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of criminal behaviour.

“Nigeria is facing a troubling contradiction. The same lawmakers who have proposed a fine of ₦10 million and up to two years in prison for dual political party membership have simultaneously removed certificate forgery, age falsification, and false declarations as grounds for challenging an election in a tribunal. This is in direct contradiction to the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria (1999, as amended).

“A nation cannot rise above the integrity of its leaders. If we truly want a better Nigeria, our laws must defend truth, character, competence, and accountability. We cannot continue to tolerate criminal behavior,” the politician stated.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended the Electoral Act 2026 to prohibit individuals from belonging to more than one political party.

The proposal came amid outrage over the removal of certificate forgery as a ground upon which an election may be challenged at the tribunal; from the amended Electoral Act 2026.

Mr Obi, who stated that the situation raises a fundamental question about the priorities of the nation’s political system, said deceiving people to gain power was a gravest criminal offence in a serious democracy.

“In any serious democracy, the gravest offence in public life is deceiving the people to gain power. Submitting false documents, falsifying one’s age, forging certificates, and making dishonest declarations to electoral authorities are among the most serious offenses in any democracy. Such actions not only lead to automatic disqualification but also warrant criminal prosecution,” the ADC chieftain added.

Noting that the country’s electoral system seems more focused on protecting political structures than on upholding the truth, Mr Obi said, “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.”

The politician insisted that laws should strengthen democracy, not weaken it, adding they should rather promote ethical leadership rather than lower standards for those who aspire to govern.

https://gazettengr.com/electoral-act-obi-faults-lawmakers-removal-of-certificate-forgery-as-ground-for-election-petition/?fbclid=Iwb21leAQiORJjbGNrBCI4uWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHl93UP7v5WWHXRmjhKwouxWs9U00k6gWG6rTy1N-uHzj_zXxiqRvczteLCw__aem_j9xqCNQvwSooEDwfOba1ag&tztc=2

PREVIOUS THREAD:
"Electoral Act: Outrage Over Removal Of Certificate Forgery As Ground For Election."
https://www.nairaland.com/8635492/electoral-act-outrage-over-removal

Nigeria is Facing a Troubling Contradiction.
What type of country are we trying to bequeath for our children? The same lawmakers who have proposed a fine of ₦10 million and up to two years in prison for dual political party membership have simultaneously removed certificate forgery, age falsification, and false declarations as grounds for challenging an election in a tribunal.

This is in direct contradiction to the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria (1999, as amended). This situation raises a fundamental question about the priorities of our political system.

In any serious democracy, the gravest offense in public life is deceiving the people to gain power. Submitting false documents, falsifying one’s age, forging certificates, and making dishonest declarations to electoral authorities are among the most serious offenses in any democracy. Such actions not only lead to automatic disqualification but also warrant criminal prosecution.

Yet today, our electoral system seems more focused on protecting political structures than on upholding the truth. There is no justification for prioritizing punishment for party alignment over punishing false certificates, forgery, and other forms of deception in the pursuit of public office.

Laws should strengthen democracy, not weaken it. They should promote ethical leadership rather than lower standards for those who aspire to govern.

A nation cannot rise above the integrity of its leaders. If we truly want a better Nigeria, our laws must defend truth, character, competence, and accountability. We cannot continue to tolerate criminal behavior.

A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

@PeterObi
https://x.com/i/status/2032558589559165212

"If we seek to be called Your Excellency, then the process through which we are elected should also be excellent or sufficiently credible to generate the required confidence and moral authority to govern and lead".

So certificate forgery is no longer grounds to disqualify a candidate in an election in Nigeria today? How did we arrived @this stage? Nothing new as most of the current NASS members if not all are well known certificates forgers.

This issue has been raging but many citizens of this nation seems to be oblivious of the more dangerous and worsening abysmal erosion and sinking of the Nigerian state by these present crop of undemocratic legislators in the NASS.

Let it be on record that the NASS. Removed a clause that affirmed forgery as a ground to challenge election results!

Inference: This means that you can submit a forged document to INEC and you will get away with forgery!

@ruffydfire
Nigerian national Assembly is being administered by a gang of criminal rogues. This nonsense must be resisted.

Obi and his cho cho cho like a parrot. So he doesn't know how many politicians or appointee that has lost their position due to certificate forgery?

So Obi was a kid to remember Salisu Buhari?

Tinubu affidavits states he attended a secondary that was built 6 years after date school was built on affidavit and he also claimed he used same( non existent certificate) to gain admission into university of Chicago.. imagine such crime on American soil and that was what the great Gani Fawehimi of blessed memory ( he was the person that started this case including the drug case in 2001 when tinubu was governor) sadly since he died no Nigerian had ever had the passion to pursue the case except make useless noise online now senate have legalized the crime after multiple Ghana must gos probably. If Gani was still alive he would have probably arranged a one on one meeting with the FBI director kash Patel through a Petition over this case and the drug case but the people we have today are only Online tigers. God bless the soul of Gani Fawehimi @Racoon

madridguy:
Obi and his cho cho cho like a parrot. So he doesn't know how many politicians or appointee that has lost their position due to certificate forgery? So Obi was a kid to remember Salisu Buhari?

So should certificate forgery be allowed to stand unchallenged in our polity and democratic system or not? What message are these bunch of rogues in the NASS passing to aspiring future leaders of Nigeria?

That they can make the wrong choices in life, live a less-than-honest life, and still become president provided they have deep pockets and can manipulate the system? No one who truly loves Nigeria can ignore the damaging precedent that Tinubu’s emergence as president has set for the moral bearings of this country

Sometime, it is good to keep shut when @lost on what to say and not going about displaying crass ignorance on issue to weighty for you to understand.

Pitobi should stop taking advice from that his special adviser at upper Iweka.

Certificate forgery and perjury are serious offenses, not only in politics but in any lawful system, and the constitution clearly treats them as such. Rather than attempting to inflame the political space after failing to sell his lies to Nigerians, Pitobi would be better advised to consult a lawyer and understand what the constitution actually says on the matter.

Richtaiwo:
Pitobi should stop taking advice from that his special adviser at upper Iweka.

Certificate forgery and perjury are serious offenses, not only in politics but in any lawful system, and the constitution clearly treats them as such. Rather than attempting to inflame the political space after failing to sell his lies to Nigerians, Pitobi would be better advised to consult a lawyer and understand what the constitution actually says on the matter.

Oga close your mouth Jare

How many times.do you want to talk about Tinubu's certificate. Chigaco state university don talk tire. Abeg say something else.

Racoon:
So should certificate forgery be allowed to stand unchallenged in our polity and democratic system or not? What message are these bunch of rogues in the NASS passing to aspiring future leaders of Nigeria?

That they can make the wrong choices in life, live a less-than-honest life, and still become president provided they have deep pockets and can manipulate the system? No one who truly loves Nigeria can ignore the damaging precedent that Tinubu’s emergence as president has set for the moral bearings of this country

Sometime, it is good to keep shut when @lost on what to say and not going about displaying crass ignorance on issue to weighty for you to understand.

Obi drop ya WAEC certificate make we see ahain..
By the way you no comment on the Demolitions going on in Anambra .
If na Lagos you go don carry loudspeaker with ya musu voice

Hmmm. This country is cruise I swear

What message are these bunch of rogues in the NASS passing to aspiring future leaders of Nigeria? That they can make the wrong choices in life, live a less-than-honest life, and still become president provided they have deep pockets and can manipulate the system?

No one who truly loves Nigeria can ignore the damaging precedent that Tinubu’s emergence as president has set for the moral bearings of this country

Bentacur007:
Oga close your mouth Jare

Tell pitobi to drop his WAEC certificate let's see.

Obi is not a presidential material.

As a governor of anambra, he failed.

He is talking about building a nation. Let ask him what he built which can serve as a reference point when he was governor.

Obi is hypocritical in thinking.

madridguy:
Obi and his cho cho cho like a parrot. So he doesn't know how many politicians or appointee that has lost their position due to certificate forgery?

So Obi was a kid to remember Salisu Buhari?

^^^
You're getting too old for this.

Mr Man your fellow criminal colleagues in ADC have started campaigning for primaries.Go and do the real politics and stop doing cho cho cho everywhere.

He only knows politics of pricing groundnut,pity,blackmail and victim playing.



Get ADC ticket before we can take you serious

madridguy:
How many times.do you want to talk about Tinubu's certificate. Chigaco state university don talk tire. Abeg say something else.

Is Tinubu also free from the secondary school scam where he graduated from a secondary school that was established 5 years later?

Richtaiwo:
Pitobi should stop taking advice from that his special adviser at upper Iweka.

Certificate forgery and perjury are serious offenses, not only in politics but in any lawful system, and the constitution clearly treats them as such. Rather than attempting to inflame the political space after failing to sell his lies to Nigerians, Pitobi would be better advised to consult a lawyer and understand what the constitution actually says on the matter.

^^^
What exactly is your point?

Racoon:
IMPORTANT SNIPPETS;
“-1). A nation cannot rise above the integrity of its leaders. If we truly want a better Nigeria, our laws must defend truth, character, competence, and accountability. We cannot continue to tolerate criminal behavior,” the politician stated.

-2). Deceiving people to gain power was a gravest criminal offence in a serious democracy. In any serious democracy, the gravest offence in public life is deceiving the people to gain power.

Submitting false documents, falsifying one’s age, forging certificates, and making dishonest declarations to electoral authorities are among the most serious offenses in any democracy. Such actions should not only lead to automatic disqualification, but also warrant criminal prosecution.

-3). 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.”

Obi thinks that constant noise will give him success in the election. People that are serious have gone quiet, mobilizing and strategizing.

Was certificate forgery explicitly in the former electoral act? Answer is no. Forgery is a crime in our criminal law.

Was Obi and his gang not in the country when the electoral act was being debated? Why did he not pressure the parliament to include it if that is his only problem?

We can now see that Obi is as unstable as water 🌊. So he had his eyes on jumping out to another party if and when he loses the ADC primary. How can people be following an unstable man like this.

ADC you have been put on notice that Obi is one leg in and one leg out.

Fujiyama:
^^^
What exactly is your point?

The point is in what you just quoted. Sorry, I don't understand Igbo language, so I can't help.

Racoon:
So certificate forgery is no longer grounds to disqualify a candidate in an election in Nigeria today? How did we arrived @this stage? Nothing new as most of the current NASS members if not all are well known certificates forgers.

This issue has been raging but many citizens of this nation seems to be oblivious of the more dangerous and worsening abysmal erosion and sinking of the Nigerian state by these present crop of undemocratic legislators in the NASS.

This one want to become president by all means.

DeltaBachelor:
Hmmm. This country is cruise I swear

State capture is the word. I wonder whether Nigeria go last another 4 years - with the way APC are operating

aariwa:
Tinubu affidavits states he attended a secondary that was built 6 years after date school was built on affidavit and he also claimed he used same( non existent certificate) to gain admission into university of Chicago.. imagine such crime on American soil and that was what the great Gani Fawehimi of blessed memory ( he was the person that started this case including the drug case in 2001 when tinubu was governor) sadly since he died no Nigerian had ever had the passion to pursue the case except make useless noise online now senate have legalized the crime after multiple Ghana must gos probably. If Gani was still alive he would have probably arranged a one on one meeting with the FBI director kash Patel through a Petition over this case and the drug case but the people we have today are only Online tigers. God bless the soul of Gani Fawehimi @Racoon

Can you please brief us of the judgement on all the cases Gani filed against Tinubu then? I know they were concluded.

fredoooooo:
Obi drop ya WAEC certificate make we see ahain..
By the way you no comment on the Demolitions going on in Anambra .
If na Lagos you go don carry loudspeaker with ya musu voice

When you guys have nothing else tangible to say, you just look for a way divert. Nonsense😑

No loose guard ooo.
Because if you do, otilo ni yen.

When he reach your turn make you work with the NASS to forge the right edicts.

madridguy:
Obi and his cho cho cho like a parrot. So he doesn't know how many politicians or appointee that has lost their position due to certificate forgery?

So Obi was a kid to remember Salisu Buhari?

Thats why your chewdren wont become shit in this society..

SEE FACTS ON WHY PETER OBI’S CERTIFICATE MAY BE FAKE:
The Certificate provided by him & his supporters
No stamp ❌
No seal ❌
15th December, 1984 was Saturday ❌
serial number... 0000198 ❌
UNN was established in 1960.
So Obi wants to tell us that he was No 198 Student in 1984 that graduated from UNN.
Peter Obi's BSc in Philosophy was totally fake, that is why he can only provide GCE result.
https://www./591780189048992/posts/661428865417457/

And why does he not use his first name in public?

guysbewise:
SEE FACTS ON WHY PETER OBI’S CERTIFICATE MAY BE FAKE:
The Certificate provided by him & his supporters
No stamp ❌
No seal ❌
15th December, 1984 was Saturday ❌
serial number... 0000198 ❌
UNN was established in 1960.
So Obi wants to tell us that he was No 198 Student in 1984 that graduated from UNN.
Peter Obi's BSc in Philosophy was totally fake, that is why he can only provide GCE result.

Very good analysis. Obi will never present his philosophy certificate.

Richtaiwo:
The point is in what you just quoted. Sorry, I don't understand Igbo language, so I can't help.

^^^
Nonsense.

Respond to the question if you are bold enough.

Some of you don't know all this nonsense will affect all of us one way or another. You think you will escape? It's not possible. You will drink from this Cup, as surely as night follows day. It is only a matter of time.

Because you know your cause is worthless you play these asinine games. You don't know where I'm from or what language I speak - and what does that have to do with anything?

Mehdi Hasan made very troubling comments about BAT - allegations that should make us all very uncomfortable. And now...this.

We now have this brazen attempt to codify the indefensible through our so called lawmakers.

Like I said earlier, we will all drink the bitter dregs from this Cup. None of us will escape it - not even you.