The Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar, have faulted President Muhammadu Buhari for saying his
academic certificates are with the Nigerian Army.
Replying to Buhari’s response to their petition filed before the
Election Petitions Tribunal, they said if it was true that the
certificates existed, Buhari as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed
Forces could order the army to produce them.
Atiku said he attached his academic certificates to the Form CF001
he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In a joint petition filed on March 18, the former Vice-President
and his party urged the tribunal to declare them the authentic winner of
the February 23 presidential election, insisting Buhari did not
possess the educational qualifications he claimed to have in his INEC
Form CF001.
They said in the reply filed on April 15 by their legal team, led
by Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), that having not been able to attach his
academic certificates to INEC Form CF001, Buhari had falsely claimed
that his certificates were in the custody of the Nigerian Army.
The joint reply filed by Atiku and the PDP read in part, “In
further response to paragraph 381(iv) of the 2nd respondent’s reply,
aver that the petitioners have no knowledge of any certificates or
alleged qualifications issued to the 2nd respondent (Buhari), but
contend that 2nd respondent falsely represented that his certificates
are in the custody of the Nigerian Army when the 2nd respondent by his
own admission is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“In further response to paragraph 381(iv) of the 2nd
respondent’s reply, the petitioners aver that the 2nd respondent as
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria could easily order the
Army Secretary to produce the certificates allegedly submitted if they
actually exist.
“Contrary to paragraph 381(i-iv) of the 2nd respondent’s reply,
the petitioners aver that the 2nd respondent does not possess the
educational qualification he claimed to have in his INEC Form CF001
submitted to the 1st respondent (INEC) having not been attached as
required.”
The petitioners also stated that “the purported training and
courses”, which Buhari claimed placed him “head and shoulders above”
Atiku regarding educational qualifications to contest the presidential
election, “did not culminate in the issuance of any certificates he
claimed in his INEC Form CF001”.
They also described Buhari’s claim of being head and shoulders above Atiku as “erroneous”.
Responding to Buhari’s allegation that Atiku didn’t have the
statutory educational qualifications to contest the polls, the
petitioners stated that the ex-VP attached his educational
qualifications to his Form CF001 submitted to INEC.
Insisting Atiku was qualified to contest election for the office,
the petitioners stated that Buhari was unable to present any
certificates because he did not possess any “as he falsely claimed”.
They stated, “In reply to paragraph 383 of the 2nd respondent’s
reply, the petitioners aver that the 1st petitioner (Atiku) is eminently
qualified to contest election to the office of the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, and had indeed attached evidence of his
educational qualifications to his INEC Form CF001 submitted to the 1st
respondent, unlike the 2nd respondent (Buhari) who did not attach
evidence of the qualifications he claimed in his INEC Form CF001 because
he does not possess them as he falsely claimed.”
INEC, Buhari, and the All Progressives Congress (Buhari’s party) are the 1st to the 3rd respondents to the petition.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the petition by the tribunal.
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