Alleged Drug Trafficking: Nigerians deserve answers on Tinubu’s Past – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has questioned why President Bola Tinubu is seeking to withhold records concerning his past from a foreign court, asserting that Nigerians deserve clear answers on matters of public interest.

Obi raised the issue in a statement posted on his official social media page on Monday, August 31, 2026, expressing deep concern over the reported legal action and unresolved questions surrounding the President’s background and educational records. He argued that a sitting leader should have the courage to confront inquiries regarding their history directly rather than attempting to shield such files from legitimate public scrutiny.

“It is profoundly embarrassing that we have reached a point where a sitting President is asking a foreign court to withhold records concerning his past, particularly records relating to matters of legitimate public interest,” Obi stated.

The NDC candidate questioned why foundational education credentials, including primary and secondary school records, remain shrouded in controversy and handled predominantly through prolonged litigation.

Obi emphasized that the public deserves “clear, credible, and verifiable explanations” regarding these matters, especially where credentials had previously been submitted to public authorities.

He expressed concern over the message the ongoing legal disputes send to younger generations of Nigerians, stressing that the nation’s highest office must embody transparency, accountability, and moral leadership.

“An imperfect past is part of the human condition. What matters is the willingness to confront it with humility, honesty and deep apology, to make amends where necessary and, when circumstances so demand, to place the interests of the nation above personal ambition,” he noted.

“The nation’s highest office should exemplify integrity, accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership,” Obi added. “Nigeria is greater than any one person, and the integrity of the Republic must always come before the interests of the individual.”
 

A President and the Endless Question of His Past 
As a citizen of no other country, who has never sought foreign citizenship even when doing so became fashionable, my loyalty to Nigeria and my faith in her destiny remain unshaken.
Yesterday, 30th of August, being Sunday, I…

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) August 31, 2026