Peter Obi Speaks Up — Honesty in Leadership Starts Now

By: Abudu Olalekan

Peter Obi said something important. Again. And this time, it wasn’t about the economy. Or fuel prices. Or that infamous “next tomorrow.” This was different. Sharper. Personal, almost.

He was talking about Uche Nnaji. The man who was Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology. Until he wasn’t.

Nnaji stepped down. Quietly. No big speech. No drama. Just a letter. A resignation. After a Premium Times report dropped — hard. It claimed his academic and NYSC certificates? Not real. Forged. Submitted to the Senate during his screening.

And Obi — he didn’t celebrate. Didn’t throw shade. He just said: “That’s decent.”

On his X page Thursday, he called the resignation “honourable.” Said it was the right thing to do. That accountability matters. That lying about your papers? Not small. It’s a crime.

Short sentence. Heavy truth.

“These things aren’t trivial.”

Imagine that. A politician calling out another politician — not for stealing money, but for faking a degree. For pretending. For thinking no one would check.

But someone did. Premium Times did. And now? Nnaji is gone.

Obi didn’t stop there. He went further. Said INEC — our election body — needs to wake up. Before 2027. Before the next circus begins.

“Check everybody.”

From the president down to the local council guy. Every single one. Degrees. NYSC. Training. Everything. Put it online. Let people see. No hiding.

He even name-dropped Ghana. Yeah, Ghana. Said they do it better. Verify every candidate’s education before they even step on stage. No bluff. No “I’ll submit it later.”

Meanwhile, here? INEC barely blinks. Candidates declare fake degrees. Some even claim schools they never attended. And we just… move on.

Obi called it “appalling.”

And honestly? He’s right.

How can we build a country on lies? On fake CVs? On ministers who can’t prove they graduated?

It’s not just about Nnaji. It’s about the pattern. The culture. The fact that for years, people have been faking it — and getting away with it.

But now? Maybe things are changing.

Because someone finally resigned. Not because he was forced by court. Not because the president sacked him. But because the truth came out. And he walked.

That’s progress. Small, but real.

Obi wants more. Wants a full overhaul. A national verification system. Transparent. Public. No exceptions.

“Let truth, transparency, and accountability form the foundation of leadership,” he wrote.

Poetic. But also practical.

Because leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about trust. And trust? It starts with your CV.

If you lie there — what else are you lying about?

The 2027 elections are coming. Fast. And if we want them to mean something, we can’t keep ignoring the basics.

Degrees matter. Not because we worship paper. But because honesty matters. Integrity. Proof.

Obi isn’t asking for perfection. Just accountability.

And maybe — just maybe — this moment with Nnaji could be a turning point. A line in the sand.

No more fake doctors. Fake engineers. Fake ministers.

Let’s make it normal to verify. To question. To demand proof.

Because Nigeria deserves better.

We all do.