Forged primary, secondary school and university records are not allowed in Indonesia’s electoral system for candidates contesting a presidential election, says former Governor Peter Obi as he urges Nigeria to “truly embrace democracy.”

Atiku Abubakar and Mr Obi were first runner-up and second runner-up in Nigeria’s 2023 poll and believed they won the presidential election, citing electoral irregularities and academic fraud by the eventual winner, Bola Tinubu. The Supreme Court of Nigeria affirmed the victory of Mr Tinubu despite damning allegations of perjury, forgery and narcotics trafficking.

“A key highlight of our discussion on electoral transparency centred on candidate qualification,” said Mr Obi, who recently toured Indonesia. “To contest in Indonesia’s presidential elections, a candidate must provide verifiable records of primary, secondary, and at least a university degree.”

The disgruntled politician added, “If Nigeria is to truly embrace democracy, we must urgently reform our electoral system, strengthen our institutions, and restore public trust in the process.

Narrating his discussion with the chairman and secretary-general of Indonesia’s General Elections Commission (KPU), Bernard Dermawan Sutrisno, in a statement on Wednesday, Mr Obi said Indonesia’s “electoral process—a system that stands in stark contrast to ours.”

The former Anambra governor, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Labour Party, pointed out that one of the greatest obstacles to credible democracy and, “consequently, good governance in Nigeria is the lack of credible elections, brought about by the glaring weakness of our electoral institutions and the persistent disregard for the rule of law.”

Mr Obi noted that with increased confidence in the electoral process, Indonesia’s national elections have consistently recorded over 70 per cent voter participation, with the most recent election in 2024 reaching 81 per cent.

“In contrast, Nigeria, despite having 94 million registered voters, recorded an abysmal turnout of less than 25%—a direct consequence of growing distrust in the electoral process,” the politician stated.

In 2023, Mr Abubakar approached the U.S. court to compel Chicago State University to release Mr Tinubu’s academic records, which has been controversial and shrouded in secrecy for decades. 

Though the American university released Mr Tinubu academic records, Nigeria’s apex court dismissed it on the ground that it could not take new evidence on the case, reaffirming Mr Tinubu’s victory.