The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has declared that he has nothing to hide, urging anyone with concerns about his background to make his official records available for public scrutiny.

Obi made the statement during an interview on 90 Minutes Africa, while responding to claims by Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, that presidential candidates in Nigeria have files with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Asked whether he had an FBI file, Obi said he was unaware of having one and had never had any dealings with the agency.

“I don’t know. I’ve never met the FBI,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor said he was prepared to subject himself to thorough scrutiny, stressing that anyone seeking public office should be accountable and transparent.

Obi said he would ask the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to release all documents contained in his academic records, including details of his admission and his results from his first year through graduation.

“I’m begging the University of Nigeria to make available every document in my file, how I was admitted and all my results from year one to final year,” he said.

He also called for the same level of transparency regarding institutions where he attended executive programmes, listing Lagos Business School, the London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, Kellogg Business School, Harvard Business School, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD and IMD.

According to Obi, people who aspire to public office should be prepared to have their records examined openly, as leadership requires accountability and transparency.

“If you seek public life, you should subject yourself to public scrutiny because you are a leader and you must exemplify the values that make society work,” he said.

Obi further challenged other presidential candidates to adopt a similar approach and make their records available for public examination.

He added that anyone with mistakes in their past should be willing to acknowledge and explain them honestly to Nigerians.