Buhari Is Qualified, APC Insists; Cites Another Law -

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has defended the academic
qualification of its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari,
citing new legal details after the Nigerian Army denied it has
copies of Mr. Buhari’s certificates as he earlier claimed.
The Constitution requires a minimum of secondary school
certificate or its equivalent for election to the office of the
president.
But amid intense debate over Mr. Buhari’s academic suitability, the
APC said in any consideration, the former military leader remains
very qualified for the election.
The party quoted part IV, Section 318 of the Constitution which
interprets “School Certificate level or its equivalent” as follows:
(a) A Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, Grade II
Teacher’s Certificate, the City and GuildsCertificate; 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 institutionsas may
be acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission
for periods totalling up to a minimum of oneyear, 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 Army had earlier admitted having copies of Mr. Buhari’s
certificates. But on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Army,
Olajide Laleye, reversed that position.
Mr. Laleye also said there were no records that the army in the
1960s verified Mr. Buhari’s claim to have attained a Senior
Secondary Certificate.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai
Mohammed, APC accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and
President Goodluck Jonathan, of attempting to compromise the
army, describing the move as “a dangerous game”
thatcoulddestroy the military.
The party 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 Mr. Laleye, a Brigadier General,
that the army is notin possession of Mr. Buhari’s certificates, is in
direct conflict with what he said on January 4 on the same issue.
”In an interview with the Punch on Jan. 4th 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 thathe 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,” APC said.
But more worrisome, the party said, is the statementcredited toMr.
Laleye that there was no evidence that the certificates of all those
who joined the army inthe early 1960s were verified by the
selection board.
”Is he 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 Gen.
Buhari, the PDP and the Jonathan Administration will end up
destroying the army as an institution? Or is it only Gen. Buhari that
was commissioned into the army in the 1960s,” itsaid.
The party also quoted Mr. Buhari as saying in an affidavit on
24/11/2014 that ”All my academic qualifications documents as
filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015 are
currently with the Secretary Military Board as at the time of this
affidavit.”
”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,” itsaid.
The party said since Mr. Laleye has now confirmed that Mr. 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.
”However, 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 will
face no challenge in next month’s election. This is wishful
thinking,” it said.
On the contradictions in the statements credited to the Army
spokesman, the party said: ”It is true that our once globally-
respected military has now been made comatose by the PDP-led
Federal Government, but we believe things have not reached the
level where the same military will be engaging in actions that
amount to self-destruction, justto satisfy some political interests.
”We believe things have not reached a levelwhere we, as a nation,
will now be giving the impression that a man who rose to become
a Major-General in the Nigerian Army does not have requisite
qualifications?
”What really is happening in our country if some politicians have
now decided to engage in an action that will amount to dragging
the military into politics, dividing an institution that is a symbol of
national unity, trivializing the service of those who fought to keep
Nigeria one and ridiculing the same country itis supposed tobe
ruling?
”We have said it before and will like to repeat: Enough is enough
about this distraction orchestrated by the PDP and the Jonathan
Administration whose electioneering campaign for next month’s
polls has suffered a train