Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said he has nothing to hide, challenging anyone to make public any official records about him, including his academic documents and any file that may exist in foreign countries.
Obi made the remarks during an interview on 90 Minutes Africa, where he was asked about claims by Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, that Nigeria’s presidential candidates have FBI files.
Responding to the question, Obi said he was not aware of having any FBI file and had never had dealings with the agency.
“I don’t know. I’ve never met the FBI,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor said he was ready for full public scrutiny because anyone seeking public office should be open to accountability.
He disclosed that he planned to ask the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to release every document in his academic file, including how he gained admission and his results from first year to 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.
Obi said the same principle should apply to institutions where he attended executive programmes, including Lagos Business School, the London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, Kellogg Business School, Harvard Business School, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD and IMD.
He maintained that public office holders should be willing to expose their records to public examination.
“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.
Obi also challenged other presidential candidates to embrace the same level of openness.
According to him, anyone with past mistakes should be honest enough to explain them to Nigerians.