This is from Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa on the Buhari certificate saga. I think, from the legal angle, it comprehensively addresses the concerns. We should henceforth concentrate on performance, suitability and the political milieu.
Food for thought from Ebun Olu-Onagoruwa
PRESIDENT WITHOUT A CERTIFICATE
Major-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (Retd) is eminently qualified to contest the presidential election in 2019.
The controversy over the qualification of Gen Buhari to contest the 2019 presidential election is needless.
By section 131, of the 1999 Constitution, a person is qualified for election to the office of President if:
A. He is a citizen of Nigeria
B. He has attained the age of forty years.
C. He is a member of a political party and he is sponsored by that political party; and
D. He has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
In my humble view, Gen Buhari has met all the above requirements.
Under and by virtue of section 318 (1) of the Constitution:
“School Certificate or its equivalent” means-
a. a Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, or Grade II Teacher’s Certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or
b. education up to Secondary School Certificate level; or
c. Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent and-
i. service in the public or private sector in the Federation in any capacity acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of ten years, and
ii. attendance at courses and training in such institutions as may be acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for periods totalling up to a minimum of one year, and
iii. the ability to read, write, understand and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and
d. any other qualification acceptable by the Independent National Electoral Commission.”
The framers of the Constitution imposed these conditions upon Nigerians and we have to accept them and live with them until we can change them.
Anybody who can read, write and communicate in English, who has attended military courses, who has served in the public service of the Federation or even in the Army, is eminently qualified to aspire to be elected as President of Nigeria.
That is why I have kept referring to the President as Maj-Gen in this statement, to show that he’s qualified, even by virtue of his military rank alone.
So, it is only a moral burden, for the President, if he claimed to have attended any secondary school, to produce the certificate of that school, to the satisfaction of Nigerians, but that has nothing to do with his legal right to contest election as President.
The debate is thus unnecessary. Let’s move on to other issues.
God bless Nigeria.
Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, Esq.,
Lekki, Lagos.
27/10/2018
The INDISPUTABLE AND VERIFIABLE FACTS ON PRESIDENT BUHARI’S CERTIFICATES.
-Chukwuemeka Ojiolo.
No 1. The President registered and sat for West African School Certificate (WASC) Examination in 1961 conducted by Cambridge University.
No 2. He submitted a copy of the result to the Military as part of the requirements to join Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer.
No. 3. When the Military Government led by him was overthrown, he was detained and his house ransacked and in the process he lost several vital belongings including the original copy of his WASC and other certificates.
No. 4. He swore an oath on how the result stating Nos. 1 to 3
No. 5. In the build up of 2015 election, PDP in an attempt to stop him or campaign against him at all cost, blackmailed him of not having a WASC certificate. The then highly politicised Military denied not being in possession of a mandatory photocopy required by every institute before anyone joins either as a student or an employee. The Military blamed the absence of a copy of the President’s certificate on poor record keeping in the sixties (shameless Military, thank God this is no more today).
No 6. As the conspiracy continued, the President (then Presidential Aspirant) address the press stating the story of how he lost his certificate. A story he would not always be in a hurry to remember how IBB and others overthrew him for nothing and incarcerated him for three years. In the broadcast he mandated his alma mater (Government Secondary School Katsina formerly Provincial Secondary School Katsina) to provide a spreadsheet of his WASC result.
No 7. His alma mater obliged his request and publicly displayed his personal result and also issued him a new statement of result with the date of the issuance (I think January 21, 2015) on it. This was done to shame all the conspirators.
No 8. Nobody challenged the authenticity of the spreadsheet/ statement of result issued by GSS Katsina till date. NO ONE HAS TAKEN THE SCHOOL TO COURT FOR ISSUING A FAKE RESULT.
No. 9. The only media platform that only took the part of professionalism on the issue was Sahara Reporters by carrying out an investigative journalism. The Media Outfit requested from the Examination Body (Cambridge University) to confirm the authenticity of the statement of result and spreadsheet published by Buhari’s alma mater (Government Secondary School Katsina).
No 10. The Examination Body (Cambridge University.) DID NOT deny the authenticity of the spreadsheet as displayed by GSS Katsina. They admitted that PMB partook in WASC examination in the year 1961, however, the University FAILED TO CONFIRM SAHARA REPORTER’S REQUEST. THEY CITED EXTANT LAWS IN THE UK PROHIBITING PUBLICIZING PERSONAL RECORDS.
No. 11. Anybody bringing up this issue again that PMB does not have WASC without first confirming from GSS Katsina and Cambridge University should be pitied as he has lost touch with time.
I wrote this first in 2016 but modified it a little now.
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