Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised recent amendments to Nigeria’s electoral laws, warning that the changes could weaken accountability and ethical standards in the country’s political system.
Obi made the remarks in a post shared on his verified account on the social media platform X on Friday. He expressed concern about what he described as a contradiction within the country’s legislative framework governing elections.
According to him, lawmakers are proposing strict penalties for politicians who belong to two political parties simultaneously, including fines of up to N10 million and possible prison terms of two years. However, he argued that the same legislative changes have removed certificate forgery, age falsification and false declarations as valid grounds for challenging election results at tribunals.
Obi said such provisions contradict the spirit of the Constitution of Nigeria, which he believes places a strong emphasis on integrity and honesty in public service.
“In any serious democracy, the gravest offence in public life is deceiving the people in order to gain power,” Obi said. He added that submitting forged documents, falsifying age, presenting fake certificates or making dishonest declarations to electoral authorities should be treated as major offences.
The former presidential candidate argued that such actions would normally lead to automatic disqualification from holding public office and could even attract criminal prosecution in established democracies.
He further warned that the current focus of the political system appears to prioritise protecting party structures rather than ensuring honesty among political leaders. According to him, there is no justification for imposing heavier penalties on party membership violations while ignoring issues such as document forgery and other forms of deception.
Obi concluded by stressing that laws should strengthen democratic institutions and encourage ethical leadership rather than reduce standards for those seeking public office. He maintained that national progress depends largely on the integrity and competence of those in leadership, adding that “a new Nigeria is possible.”
