Gen Buhari will address all controversies surrounding his academic certificates at a press conference tomorrow, January 21st by 9am in Kano. The APC presidential candidate made this known through the Director of the APC's Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
The Nigerian Army has said it is not in custody of the original certificates of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
The Army, at a news conference by its Director of Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Olajide Laleye, in Abuja on Tuesday, added that it was also not in possession of the photocopies or statement of results of Buhari.
It however explained that the entry made for documentation by the APC candidate on its(Army) Form 199A, indicated that he wrote and passed the West African School Certificate in 1961.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu, said in a terse statement on Tuesday night that Buhari would address a new conference on the issue on Wednesday(today).
Buhari had in an affidavit he deposed to at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on November 24, 2014 and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission on December 18, 2014, said that his certificates were with the military.
“I am the above-named person and deponent to this affidavit therein. All my academic qualifications, documents as filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015, are currently with the Secretary, Military Board as of the time of presenting this affidavit. The affidavit is made in good faith and for record purposes,” he had written.
When the controversy over Buhari’s qualification gathered momentum, Laleye told newsmen that the military authorities were ready to release credentials and certificates in its custody to serving and retired officers in need of them.
He said that the procedure for the retrieval or collection of the certificates was known to all serving or retired officers of the military.
On Tuesday, Laleye said that military records showed that Buhari applied to join the Army on October 18, 1961. .
The Army spokesman explained that it was the tradition of the Army to ensure that a selection board was set up to verify the original credentials of candidates shortlisted for commissioning.
Laleye said that records did not show that the process was followed .
However, he said that the entry made for documentation by Buhari on Form 199A indicated that he had credit in English Language, Geography, History, Health Science, Hausa and a Pass in English Literature.
He said, “The media hype on Maj. Gen. Buhari’s credentials as well as the numerous requests made by individuals and corporate bodies to the Army on this issue have necessitated that we provide the facts as contained in the retired senior officer’s service record.
“Records available indicate that Maj. Gen. Buhari applied to join the military as a form six student of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina on 18 October 1961.
“His application was duly endorsed by the principal of the school, who also wrote a report on him and recommended him suitable for military commission.
“It is a practice in the Army that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers’ cadre of the service; the selection board verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented. However, there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s.
“Nevertheless, the entry made on Form 199A at the point of documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former Head of State obtained the WASC in 1961 with credits in relevant subjects.
“Neither the original certified true copy nor the statement of result of Maj. Gen. Buhari’s WASC result is in his personal file.
“I hope this explanation will put to rest, the raging controversy surrounding the secondary school credentials of Maj. Gen. Buhari as it affects the Nigerian Army.”
Although the Army authorities did not allow journalists to have copies of the documents filed by the former Head of State for his commissioning as an officer, they created an opportunity for the documents to be sighted
The Principal of the school, in recommending Buhari for commissioning as an officer, said “I recommend him for military commissioning; I consider that Mohammadu Buhari will pass the West Africa School Certificate in English, Maths and three other subjects.
Laleye said that the Army holds Buhari, who rose to the enviable rank of Maj. Gen, and was Head of State of the country, in high esteem and would not be party to the controversy over “his eligibility for any political office.”
However, the APC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, urged the Peoples Democratic Party not to compromise the army in the name of giving President Goodluck Jonathan an unfair advantage ahead of the February 14 presidential poll.
The APC said compromising the army could backfire. It said the military, as a symbol of national unity, must beware of those seeking to use it to achieve selfish and divisive ends.
The party said it found it funny that the army spokesman said that it had the certificates of all serving and retired officers only to deny having Buhari’s credentials two weeks later.
It said, ‘‘In an interview with journalists on January 4, 2015, Brig.-Gen. Olaleye said, ‘Every serving and retired Army officer has at least a copy of his certificates and credentials kept in the Nigerian Army while that same serving and retired officer has copies of those same certificates and credentials’
‘‘Is Brig.-Gen. Olaleye now saying that he did not make that statement? If he did, what has happened between then and now to make him to recant? It will be interesting to know what has transpired between then and now.”
The APC added, ‘’Is he (Olaleye) now saying that all those who were commissioned into the officer cadres in the 1960s did not have their certificates verified? Does this not confirm what we said that in trying to destroy Maj. Gen. Buhari, the PDP and the Jonathan administration will end up destroying the army as an institution? Or is it only Maj. Gen. Buhari that was commissioned into the army in the 1960s.”
The APC argued that even if the army did not have Buhari’s certificates, he (Buhari) “is still very qualified to run for the country’s highest office, as stipulated by the 1999 Constitution.”
The party said since Olaleye had now confirmed that the form Buhari filed contained his Secondary School Certificate results, there was no scintilla of doubt about his qualification to run for President as stipulated by the constitution.
It added, ‘‘We know that the PDP and the Jonathan administration have constituted themselves into a court of law and will like nothing more than the disqualification of our candidate so they that will face no challenge in next month’s election.’’
Also, the Director, Media and Information Management Directorate of Buhari Support Organisation, Chidia Maduekwe, said the issue of Buhari’s certificate was inconsequential.
He said, “INEC has said it and I am saying it again, if anybody has doubts about the general’s credentials, the person should go to court.
“What the constitution says is that a person seeking for the office of President should be educated up to the level of school certificate and there is evidence that the general was in school up till form six, his school principal attested to this, he joined the army and rose to the peak.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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APC is really a vocal party with strong sense of conviction. In this certificate saga, Lai Mohamed has wobbled in his explanation. He just could articulate any point. We are in trouble as a nation if we continue to allow double standard. The beginning of the corruption fight is justice. Buhari entire military career is a big fraud. It makes a nonsense of his principles. No intimidation can work in this. APC must substitute him or I go to court. I should work as an Engineer or a surgeon because someone says am qualified. Attestation is only a confirmation that all presented documents are correct. It can never replace the required documents. We are talking about ordinary level.
ReplyDeleteYour right nija man
DeleteBuhari is like u did not prepare for this mission , kindly go back to ur school and get your qualification be/4 u come and look for public office- Nigeria Youths watch with dismay a Major General that do not know the important of Certificate and wants to rule a country full of learned people. To we Nigerians is like u were a stubborn child that ur parent refuse to send to school. Pls forget about election and go to Adult school to earn FSLC & WACE or SS3-sorry for failing the 4th time-Shame to APC cohorts Goodluck is God sent to Nigeria.
DeleteSomeonee who want to fight corruption is corrupt he never attanded skool..y can he show at least a copy ..
ReplyDeleteIn the first, how come a person without O'level Certificate got to the Rank of General in the Nigeria Army??? Is it because modern education is EVIL?? If that is the case, it then mean that BOKO HARAN started years ago.
ReplyDeleteThis is a criminal offence, prosecution should begin immediately, this is absolute fraud.
ReplyDeleteHaba hiw can you say Buhari is not qualified? What about the officer trainings in the Army? What of the War College certificates? The Army is clearly compromised. Remembet the Chief of Army Staff is a Jonathan apointee from hjs place.!
ReplyDeleteThis is a serious issue. It should not surprise anyone because we all knew how the north handle qualification issues in the government. I have a classmate who attended one of the unity schools with me, in our SSCE Exams he had a P7 in one subject and a P8 in another,yet he was admitted into the University of Maiduguri ,the same year our results were published. This indicates he did not sit for any other external exams that may have qualified him. Today,he is one of the high level staff of one of our Federal ministeries, he may one day become a presidential candidate. This is someone that could not make a correct phrase in English as at our SSS3.
ReplyDeleteWhen you guys were singing Buhari's as the Messiah that will bring us change,I was wondering how he intended to perform that miracle,oh! that explains why he needed a pastor of the Redeemed Church since they're experienced miracle makers.
ALL THOMASES SHOULD WAIT AND SEE SINCE SEEING IS BELIEVING! THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID OF BUHARI WOULD BE LAID TO REST AT THE END OF THIS DAY'S BRIEFING!
ReplyDeletehehehehe...c case o! show us certificate na case? but frankly speaking,dis our con3 nidz deliverance.notin is straight forward.today a person wil dis n tmrw d same person wil say a different tin.
ReplyDeleteNye nye nye nye nye nye , I have never seen any PDP member and its supporters make sense since this controversy started and non of them can read the lines because they are all afraid and want the disqualification of Buhari at all cost cause they know that Buhari toe to toe with Jonathan with the masses Jonathan will actually with Humiliation go back to Otueke .
ReplyDeleteNow that most of them have understood there is a chance that Jonathan could loose this election. Today if not that the man is old and analogue it would be that he is close to the grave, tomorrow it is that of his certificate next is that he is a religious bigot and next is that he is sick and about to travel to the US for medical attention.
Can someone tell me what all this desperation is all about, in 2003 he was not seen as a threat even though we know that people will vote for him and in 2007 same story but because of his zeal he kept coming back and in 2011 he guarded a lot of moment although so many of us still know that he would not win but there would be trouble due to some Hausas who prefer to vent there anger by spilling blood than to dialogue .
We all know that is not his fault but he made some inciting statements out of anger that caused the violence which was later contained as of then but later went out of hand and it was all out of anger because the man Obansajo who is the corrupt master planner was behind Jonathan and he Jonathan told us about his poor background and all that he would achieve if voted into the office and that made us to see him as the one that would have pity on the lives of the poor citizens of the country and in my view he have disappointed us who appointed him at first .
And now that its clear that Buhari is going to win this present election going by how the wave is transporting, many blind followers are now following their deceivers like Jonathan and his wife , FFK, Remix Omokiri or whatever his name is , Doyin Okukpe, Edwin Clark, Ruben Abati and so on check these characters since these Campaign and the nonsense that comes out of there mouth anytime they see a microphone but that is no longer my problems.
My problem is I don't like Buhari but that man Buhari in all facets batter than Jonathan but now is no longer about ethnicity and liking some one its about the time to choose people with a better visions and for those of us whom will prefer Jonathan to rig the election in other to remain in office be careful of what u wish for, and know it today that if Buhari gets disqualified or loosed because of election rigging from the PDP which have been the trend for long years now, of a truth the dogs, the monkeys and the Baboons would all be soaked in there Blood in this 2015 and there would not be any hiding place.
Kubiben SA.
Calm down you guys, the military is playing the script of the FG, but will not succeed. The military hierarchy which has been feeding fat on the bad governance of Jonathan is also scared of their fate under Buhari.
ReplyDeleteMay God help us in this country, Army too is being compromised. Anyway, we a re tired of PDP and Jonathan administration and the only alternative we have is Buhari so leave us alone
ReplyDeleteYou went to school yet you refuse to learn and understand simple instruction.
ReplyDeleteINEC say if you are in doubt go to court period.
Plus all your degree you refuse to hear, WHY ?
You can see where certificate is taking us to. Imagine, common sense should tell anybody why they are all afraid. Was that how Jona respond to aviation minister saga, Fani Kayode & Fayose's frauds, Deziene"s fraud, Ibori"s fraud etec.
I for see so many people in jail in the next 14months to come, Surely people like OBJ & GEJ may be pardon at the end of the exercise. Trust me.
They are still blabbing and find it difficult to just show us a copy of his credentials so that the masses will be convinced. If he says the army has his credentials and it happens to be a lie, it means he is very corrupt.
ReplyDeleteThis is double standard and its not acceptable! lying is corruption at its peak! and wait a minute..... it was actually Buhari who dragged the military into this by lying that military have his certificate and not Jonathan. We should always uphold the truth, no matter what! change my asssssss
ReplyDelete21 years for exam cheats according to your decree.How many year for non possession of certificates claimed?
ReplyDeleteThere is a lay down requirement. Let him provide his certificate in original to.prove to Nigerians. The point is very clear. He does not have ordinary level certificate.
ReplyDeleteY not go to WAEC or whatever was around at dat time, there must be a record somewhere of him sitting for d exam. If otherwise he shld be disqualified cos he doesn't hv the basics. I am his staunch supporter
ReplyDeleteINEC should not tell Nigerians that they cannot disqualify Buhari for not complying to electoral act. They Inec should go to Court and obtain clearance to disqualify APC presidential candidate for deceiving Nigerians that he went to school without obtaining Certificate and again for editing the Army for holding his certificate. A president that is talking about corruption and he is corrupt already & have no base to fight corruption or do any good thing in Nigerians , Because you fail to comply to Electoral act requirement it means you want to run Nigeria as jungle - mba. GEJ is ok for Nigerians in 2015
ReplyDelete