INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION, in Abuja, Thursday, October 25, ahead of 2019 general elections, released details of candidates seeking elective offices and their academic credentials, beginning with Presidential candidates. Incumbent president Mohammadu Buhari, seeking re-election on the platform of All Progressive Congress, APC, has no credentials attached to his Form.
Buhari, rather, attached sworn affidavit that stated: “I am the above-named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. All my academic qualification documents as filled in my Presidential form, APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary of the Military Board as of the time of this affidavit.”
Reactions in some twitter handles immediately followed Buhari’s claim in the sworn affidavit that all his academic qualification documents filed in his presidential form APC/001/2015 are currently the Secretary of Military Board.
Fami Fani-Kayode @realFFK twitted: “Once again Buhari has refused to submit his WAEC certificate to INEC. Once again he says that it is with the military authorities. Even though he has been Commander in Chief for the last few years he has been unable to retrieve them. May God save Nigeria from this man”.
Reno Omokri @renoomokri @MBuhari again tells @INECNigeria his certificate are with the army twitted: “Who controls the army as Commander-in-Chief? Is it not Buhari? We‘ve seen the evidence of certificateless leadership. We won’t accept that excuse. Retweet to insist Buhari produces his certificate #RenosDarts”.
Ben Murray-Bruce @benmurraybruce twitted: “I remember that in 1983, @MBuhari said “This generation of Nigerians, and indeed future generations, have no country other than Nigeria”. How can the same person now ask Nigerian citizens to go to another country 25 years after he himself admitted that they have no other country?
Kola Ologbondiyan, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Publicity Secretary twitted: “Integrity demands that you write to military authorities asking them to forward your credentials to INEC. Even @MBuhari followers are not prepared to accept NEPA Bill for WAEC in 2019. So, Mr President, Wey your certificate?”
Same certificate controversy trailed President Buhari in 2014, in the build-up to 2015 presidential election and made headlines, also as the candidate of All Progressive Congress, APC. As a democratic nation, with its institutions, such as INEC, operating under the rule-of-law, President Buhari should comply with attaching his academic qualifications to the form he submitted INEC.
Oke Umurhohwo @Stalyf twitted: “INEC has received 70 presidential candidates names. 69 of them have submitted their credentials too. The odd one is Buhari, who says his credentials are with the military. Same old story? Dear @MBuhari, kindly submit your WAEC certificate to @inecnigeria. Stop giving excuses.
Ali G @aligthebaptist twitted: “After 6yrs as President (1983 to 1985, 2015 till date) Buhari has been unable to retrieve ordinary WAEC certificate from the military; since when did the military start keeping original certificate for people? Abeg he should go and write WAEC, e never write am before”.
