Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 election, Peter Obi, has said while it is not necessary to have the best educational qualifications, a person must be honest and honourable about his or her past to be a great leader.

Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, who spoke during an interview with the Arise News, said challenging the election of Bola Tinubu as president was part of what built and made a nation.

Obi said, “We are at a point where we are challenging the process, these are part of what makes a nation.

“The process through which people come into office or assume or achieve anything is far more fundamental than what they do thereafter. It is important that people come through the right door and not just jump in through the window.

“As far as I am concerned, again, when it comes to the issue of working, even opposition is part of building the process of having the proper government. What is important is that we challenge the process through which this government came into being, and that challenge is still there.” 

On the issue of paper qualification by Nigerian politicians, Obi said, “I never said anything with regards to improving the degree or doing this. The issue of qualification is the issue of leaders making statements, doing things that are honest and truthful. This is an issue of honour and integrity. It is the foundation on which you build society.”

“If you look at what is happening in Nigeria today, there are so many issues of certification, age, all sorts of one falsification or the other, all over within the leaders. There is no way people can be doing this and be able to do the right things because that means they are living a falsified life, and that is not good morally.”

Daily Trust