Activist and commentator Mahdi Shehu has reacted to a viral video showing individuals impersonating candidates in professional examinations, arguing that Nigeria lacks the moral authority to condemn such acts while its political leaders defend forged certificates.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Shehu described the outrage over exam malpractice as hypocritical, insisting that it reflects a deeper national decay.
“This media trial is self-indicting in a country like Nigeria,” he wrote.
Shehu alleged that some politicians have presented fake results and forged certificates, with courts at times certifying them as genuine. He also accused some leaders of making fraudulent academic claims using certificates from institutions that do not exist.
According to him, the celebration of leaders with questionable academic records has become both a national shame and a global embarrassment.
“One cannot aspire to feel the freshness and sweetness of a fried fish whose head was rotten while in the water,” Shehu said, using metaphor to underline his point.
He argued that the conduct of those caught in the video mirrors the country’s broader political and social failures.
In a sarcastic remark, Shehu suggested that the suspects should even be awarded the national honour of GCON “for a job well done.”