Drama as Nigerian writes Army, requests speedy release of Buhari’s certificates

A Nigerian and aide to the immediate past Governor of Ekiti state, Lere Olayinka, has written to the Nigerian army, requesting a speedy release of the academic credentials of President Muhammadu Buhari.  Mr. Olayinka, in the letter addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff, said President Buhari risks his re-election bid if his academic credentials remains not found.

Recall that President Buhari has, in an affidavit sworn to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, explained why he failed to submit his academic credentials as a precondition to being eligible to contest the 2019 election. According to Buhari, “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.” President Buhari had, during the 2015 election which he eventually won, presented INEC with the same excuse, saying the military is in possession of his academic credentials. But, the army, through the then director of army public relations, Olajide Laleye, had denied that the military was in possession of Buhari’s academic credentials. In a release then, the army had said, “Records available indicate that Major General M Buhari applied to join the military as a Form Six student of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina on 18 Oct 61.

“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 military commission. “It is a practice in the NA that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers’ cadre of the Service, the Selection Board verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented. However, there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s.” Meanwhile, in the letter to the CDS, Mr. Olayinka asked the military not to take the stress of providing all the credentials but to, at least, provide President Buhari’s Primary Six and Secondary School Certificates as the two will suffice.

The letter reads thus: “Dear Chief of Defence Staff, RE: Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s Credentials 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. Yours truly, Lere Olayinka 1, Irunmale Avenue, Agbonna Hilltop, Okemesi Ekiti Ekiti State.”

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