Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, on Tuesday announced the filling of his nomination/inquiry form of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as Presidential Candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) which has been upheld on the Commission’s server, raising a poser for the nation’s political leaders.
Writing on his X handle on Tuesday, Obi posed a very pertinent question to the nation’s political leaders: “What truly should be our priority now as leaders of a Nation? This question has become necessary given where we are today as a nation and where we are supposed to be.
“While completing my INEC nomination form on yesterday (Monday), Section E, Question 1 caught my attention. It asks: “Have you ever been adjudged a lunatic or been declared a person of unsound mind?” The answer is either Yes or No. That question got me thinking: Can we, as the political leaders of today’s Nigeria, truly say we are exhibiting characteristics of a sound mind? When our children are being abducted into the bushes, when citizens cannot travel safely on our highways, and when several million Nigerians are uncertain where their next meal will come from; when several billions are being siphoned frivolously through non-existent agencies and projects. In such adverse circumstances as we are, should politics really be our primary preoccupation?
“A leadership exercising a sound mind would have convened an emergency meeting of political leaders across various parties and other critical stakeholders to confront these existential challenges facing our nation today. The survival of Nigeria should have been prioritised over the pursuit of political advantage.
“Further, in the same Section E, Question 6, was “Have you ever presented a forged certificate to INEC?” Again, the answer is either Yes or No. This raises another important question: Why shouldn’t INEC, in the interest of ensuring that our leaders are exemplary in following the rules and for public confidence in our process, publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by every candidate seeking elective office? Transparency strengthens democracy and builds public trust.
“Nigeria’s problems are too serious for politics as usual. It is time for leadership defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to service. A new Nigeria is possible.”
