Former presidential candidate and African Democratic Congress chieftain, Peter Obi, has faulted the recommendation of N10 million fine against politicians with dual membership and deleting certificate forgery, age falsification and false declarations as grounds for challenging an election in a tribunal. 

Mr Obi, in a statement on X on Friday, said the removal of certificate forgery as ground in election petition was a direct contradiction to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), accusing the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of criminal behaviour.

“Nigeria is facing a troubling contradiction. The same lawmakers who have proposed a fine of ₦10 million and up to two years in prison for dual political party membership have simultaneously removed certificate forgery, age falsification, and false declarations as grounds for challenging an election in a tribunal. This is in direct contradiction to the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria (1999, as amended).

“A nation cannot rise above the integrity of its leaders. If we truly want a better Nigeria, our laws must defend truth, character, competence, and accountability. We cannot continue to tolerate criminal behavior,” the politician stated.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended the Electoral Act 2026 to prohibit individuals from belonging to more than one political party.

The proposal came amid outrage over the removal of certificate forgery—as a ground upon which an election may be challenged at the tribunal— from the amended Electoral Act 2026.

Mr Obi, who stated that the situation raises a fundamental question about the priorities of the nation’s political system, said deceiving people to gain power was a gravest criminal offence in a serious democracy.

“In any serious democracy, the gravest offence in public life is deceiving the people to gain power. Submitting false documents, falsifying one’s age, forging certificates, and making dishonest declarations to electoral authorities are among the most serious offenses in any democracy. Such actions not only lead to automatic disqualification but also warrant criminal prosecution,” the ADC chieftain added.

Noting that the country’s electoral system seems more focused on protecting political structures than on upholding the truth, Mr Obi said, “There is no justification for prioritising punishment for party alignment over punishing false certificates, forgery, and other forms of deception in the pursuit of public office.”

The politician insisted that laws should strengthen democracy, not weaken it, adding they should rather promote ethical leadership rather than lower standards for those who aspire to govern.