President Muhammadu Buhari
The Presidency says it is an indication of idleness on the part of
PDP and other Nigerians, to make a fuss about President Buhari not
presenting his certificates to INEC.
This is coming after President Buhari while submitting his
presidential nomination form to INEC ahead of the February 2019
elections, presented a sworn affidavit instead of his certificates.
According to his affidavit, his credentials are still with the
Nigerian Army where he was an officer until his retirement in 1985.
Reacting to the backlash that has followed the development, Femi
Adesina who is the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and
Publicity, told the Nation, that the certificate saga is a dead issue.
“The certificate saga is a dead issue, only idle people will
consider it. It is something that had been laid to rest before the 2015
general elections. Those raising the issue (PDP and others) are idle and
they have run out of ideas. They see defeat staring them in the face
and they are desperate to cling to any straw. This issue was resolved
before the 2015 election. It is a matter of fact that when President
Buhari and others joined the military, they took their original
certificates from them. The military knew where they kept the original
certificates of the President. In fact, a former Chief of Defence Staff,
Gen. Alani Akinrinade corroborated that the military collected the
original certificates of all its officers. The PDP believes it is going
to lose the elections, and they will lose, and it is raising dust over a
dead issue.
“The military already said they lost the certificates. But does
it mean that it did not exist that the President went to school, sat
for examinations and passed; attended military courses and War College.
It does not change the fact that the President rose through the ranks to
become a Major-General in the Nigerian Army and a Military Head of
State. Didn’t those opposed to President Buhari go to court over his
certificate and lost before? They will still lose this time around. It
is a dead issue.”
Also commenting, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lanre
Issa-Onilu, said President Buhari has the minimal qualification to run
for president.
“It is a dead issue. When PDP has something new to say,
Nigerians will be ready to listen to the party. This certificate issue
was thrashed in 2014. The President has the minimum qualification he
ought to have to stand for election and he had more than the minimum.
PDP thrives on the trivial. We want to tell Nigerians what we have
achieved in the last three years and why the President should be
re-elected. Instead of engaging in meaningful discourse, PDP trades on
the trivial.” he said
President Buhari in his sworn affidavit submitted to the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)listed his academic
and military attainments as follows: Elementary School Daura and Mai
Aduwa (1948-1952); Middle School, Katsina (1953-1956); Katsina
Provincial Secondary School (now Government College, Katsina)-1956 to
1961; Nigerian Military Training School, Kaduna (1962-1963); Cadet
Officer Course Aldershot, UK (October 1963); Platoon Commander Course,
Nigerian Military College, Kaduna (1963-1964); Army Mechanical
Transport School, Bordan, England (1965); Defence Service Staff
College, Wellington India (1973-1974); and United States Army War
College (1979-1980).
Sections 130 and 131 of the 1999 Constitution provides eligibility guidelines for a presidential candidate.
Section 130 of the 1999 Constitution says: “There shall be for the
Federation, a President” and such “President shall be the Head of State,
the Chief Executive of the Federation and Commander- In –Chief of the
Armed Forces of the Federation”.
“Section 131 states: “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of President if –
*He is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
*He has attained the age of forty – years.
*He is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and
*He has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman Mahmood Yakubu
said on Friday that Nigerians who have an issue with the credentials
submitted by candidates contesting next year’s elections are free to
challenge such claims in court.