The embattled immediate past governor of Ekiti State Ayodele Fayose has written the Chief of Defence staff, demanding the release of President Muhammadu Buhari’s WAEC certificate to INEC for the 2019 elections to avoid disqualification from the Presidential race.
All the aspirants seeking elective positions submited certain documents, including their academic credentials, to the commission.
But President Buhari, a former head of state, was quoted to have said his academic records are with the military board.
In an affidavit, the President was quoted as saying: “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.”
In 2014, Buhari tendered the same submission in the buildup of the 2015 elections as a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but the military had denied being in possession of the academic credentials.
Apparently displeased with the President’s comment, Fayose in a statement by his media aide, Olayinka Lere, said Buhari could have used his powers to compel the military authority to use a Fighter Jet to fly the credentials to INEC.
The statement reads: “I write as a concerned citizen of Nigeria to request that you use your good offices to effect the immediate release of academic credentials of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to INEC.
“Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) is the presidential candidate of the APC in the 2019 general election and he is in urgent need of the credentials to support his nomination as provided by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“I wish to remind you that in 2015, the said Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) could not present his credentials because the then PDP government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan allegedly prevented the Military from releasing the credentials.
“The CDS sir, you should be reminded that the said Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) is the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, and he could have just used his powers to compel the military authority to use a Fighter Jet to fly the credentials to INEC.
“Kindly treat this request as urgent because the said Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) on whose behalf I make this request risks disqualification by INEC if he fails to submit the credentials as demanded by the law.
“You may not need to provide all the credentials, however, just release the Primary Six and Secondary School Certificates.
“Thank you in anticipation of your prompt and favourable consideration of this request,” it added.
