The Labour Party’s presidential hopeful for the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has voiced concern that individuals with criminal backgrounds, unverified educational qualifications, and forged certificates are currently in positions of power in the country.
During an appearance on Arise Television, Peter Obi emphasized that democracy in Nigeria is under threat, particularly due to the lack of a robust and independent judiciary system. He went on to lament the lack of freedom of speech in the nation, highlighting how even prominent figures like himself face constant harassment.
The LP leader’s comments shed light on the challenges facing Nigeria’s democratic institutions and the need for greater transparency and accountability in governance.
Peter Obi continued, “There is no democracy in Nigeria today; Nigeria is not a democratic country. Let’s stop telling ourselves lies. It is not a democratic country. So it’s not for the people.
“You can’t have a democracy without a functional and effective legislator, which you know we don’t have today.
“You can’t have a democracy without, again, an independent judiciary that fights for the common person. I can go on and on.
“In a democracy, it is clear there’s guidelines even you set for people vying for election, like in the Nigerian case, you have to talk about people must be qualified, they must have primary school, secondary school, university, and most attain certain age.
“That is not happening today. People are with unverified, forged certificates all over the place, criminal records and everything, and they are in charge.
“So you cannot say that it is [democracy]. Yes, maybe we are striving to be a democratic country, but where we are today is not. Look at what happened in Rivers that we mentioned, can you call that democracy?”
