Jonathan, PDP behind Buhari’s certificate row- APC

By Umar Muhammad Puma & Joy Baba Yesufu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan administration of constituting themselves into a court of law with a view to disqualifying their presidential candidate with certificate row.

The APC said, “They will like nothing more than the disqualification of our candidate so they will face no challenge in next month’s election. This is wishful thinking,’’

APC said the PDP and Jonathan Administration should channel their energy on how to revive their campaign instead of seeking the disqualification of its candidate.

The party warned that those who are bent on destroying its Presidential Candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on the basis of his certificates may end up destroying the country’s military.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party warned that the PDP and the Jonathan Administration are playing a dangerous game by trying to compromise the military in order to satisfy selfish political objectives, and urged the military, as a symbol of national unity, to beware of those who may be seeking to use it to achieve selfish and divisive ends.

It said the statement credited to the Nigerian, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Olajide Olaleye, at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, that the Army is not in possession of Gen. Buhari’s certificates, is in direct conflict with what he said on Jan. 4, 2015 on the same issue.

‘’Those who are behind the latest controversy should now tell Nigerians what happened to Gen. Buhari’s certificates between the time of his affidavit and now,’’ it said.

The party said since Brig.-Gen. Olaleye has now confirmed that Gen. Buhari indeed applied to join the Army from form six, that the principal of the school he attended even attested to his suitability, and that the form he filled contained his Secondary School Certificate results, there is no scintilla of doubt about his qualification to run for president as stipulated by the Constitution.

The authorities of the Nigerian Army had yesterday said they are not in possession of the original or photocopies of the credentials of General Muhammadu Buhari contrary to an affidavit sworn by the former military head of state that his certificate is with the Army.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Olajide Laleye stated this Tuesday while addressing journalists on the controversies surrounding issues concerning the army being in possession of the Generals certificate which has generated and raised doubt about the the eligibility of the presidential candidate.

Laleye said the army only has in its possession a letter from the principal of the secondary school the retired General attended in 1961 recommending him for enlistment into the Military.

According to him, “Records available indicated that Major General M Buhari applied to join the military as a form six student of the provincial secondary, Katsina on 18th October, 1961. His application was duly endorsed by the principal of the school, who also wrote a report on him and recommended him to be suitable for the military commission.”

” It is a practice in the Nigerian Army that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officer’s cadre of the service, the selection board verifies the original copies of the 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 the Nigerian Army form 199A at the point of documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former Head of State obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961 with credits in relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature.

“Neither the original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor statement of results of Major General Buhari’s WASC result is in personal file”