By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 15, 2026
Key Points
· NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has denied claims that he has a file with the FBI
· He was responding to comments by Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, who claimed presidential candidates have FBI files
· Obi challenged anyone to make public any official records about him, including academic documents and foreign files
· He’s asking the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to release his full academic record, from admission to graduation results
· He extended the same openness challenge to institutions where he attended executive programmes, including LBS, LSE, Columbia, Kellogg, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD and IMD
· Obi also challenged other presidential candidates to embrace similar transparency
Main Story
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has dismissed claims that he has any file with the FBI, speaking during an interview on 90 Minutes Africa, His comments came in reaction to claims from Reno Omokri, Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, who alleged that the country’s presidential candidates have files with the FBI. Obi said plainly that he had never had any dealings with the agency. “I don’t know. I’ve never met the FBI,” he said, Beyond addressing the FBI claim directly, Obi went further and called for scrutiny of his academic history. He said he is appealing to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to make public every document tied to his admission and academic performance, from his first year through to graduation.
The Issues
The exchange highlights a recurring theme in Nigerian political discourse ahead of major elections: the credibility and verifiability of candidates’ personal and academic records. Allegations involving foreign intelligence agencies or undisclosed files tend to circulate quickly in Nigerian political conversation, often without independent verification, which puts pressure on candidates to respond publicly rather than let claims go unanswered, Obi’s response strategy leans heavily on transparency as a rebuttal. Rather than simply denying the claim, he’s framing his defense around an invitation for scrutiny, extending it not just to the FBI allegation but to his entire academic and professional training history across multiple elite institutions.
What’s Being Said
Obi was direct in denying any connection to the FBI, stating he had no knowledge of any such file and no history of dealing with the agency, On the matter of academic transparency, he framed it as both a personal appeal and a broader principle for public office. He argued that anyone seeking public life should be willing to subject themselves to public scrutiny, saying leaders must exemplify the values that make society function, He also used the moment to issue a broader challenge to his rivals in the presidential race, calling on them to adopt the same standard of openness regarding their own records.
What’s Next
It remains to be seen whether the University of Nigeria, Nsukka will respond to Obi’s request to release his academic records, or whether other institutions named among his executive programmes, including Lagos Business School, the London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, Kellogg Business School, Harvard Business School, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD and IMD, will engage with the transparency challenge, It’s also worth watching whether other presidential candidates respond to Obi’s call for similar openness, or whether Reno Omokri offers further comment or evidence to support his original claims about FBI files.
Bottom Line
Obi is countering an unverified allegation not just with denial, but with an aggressive transparency push, betting that inviting scrutiny of his own record will do more to build public trust than simply disputing the claim.
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