WAEC certificate: Buhari under attack as INEC releases names of presidential candidates

The failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to submit his academic certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as required of candidates for the 2019 elections, has stirred reactions from Nigerians online.

Buhari only submitted an affidavit wherein he claimed that his credentials were with the Secretary of the Military Board, as the various presidential candidates’ credentials were made available to reporters in Abuja on Thursday.

However, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar submitted all relevant documents, with a diploma in Law obtained in 1969 from the Ahmadu Bello University being his highest qualification.

On his part, Buhari, in the affidavit, said, “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.”

This stirred divergent opinions from Nigerians on social media as some netizens questioned why Buhari could not get his original WAEC certificate from military given that he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Below are some reactions gathered by DAILY POST from Twitter:

@Yemifash ” Buhari did not tender any academic record to become President, INEC conspired with APC to install a WAEC-LESS President. The whole world must see this, don’t stop retweeting. ”

@Dun1214 “This guy, Is he not the c-in-c now. So he cannot order them to produce it?

@RealAliyuyusuf “Leadership has nothing to do with certificate. Let’s not use this as a means of a campaign, that would be too cheap. Its high time we come together to make Nigeria work again.”

@Pearlss “How do u expect him to give what is not in existence? Simple !he does not have it. He commands all commendable in Nigeria and can’t get hold of his WAEC papers? Vital one at that? Please!!!

@Okpakolaw “It surprises me how INEC had always qualified him for elections on affidavit alone. Where are the Certified True Copies! I hope that INEC will be bold enough to request for CTC and not rely on self-recognition.”

@Dominic_ugo “WAEC certificate is not important. Have you not heard that Buhari recently bagged a Masters degree in Strategic Lifelessness from University of “white house, his Thesis titled how to destroy Nigeria economy was personally supervised by Donald Trump.”

@ShettimaNIS “Leadership has nothing to do with academic excellence, gentleman next time be more objective, he is the savior Nigeria ever had, May God save your people from you.”

@Abatanbabtundde “My father was a retired Major though late now but if u ask me of any of his certificates, within 2hrs I will produce all the original certificates. My father served the same Nigeria Army that clueless Buhari served.”

@Edmundobiri “It is very obvious that some are actually fully above the law. To get a normal desk job in this country, if you don’t produce your WAEC result, you can forget about it. But a whole “president” cannot even give us his own.”

@brave_miracle “INEC should stop him from contesting if they truly know their job.”

@Ojebutudollar “Yet he wants to prosecute Ademola Adeleke who tendered his despite that he didn’t pass his papers. Buharists only forge theirs, They are certificate forgers and have nothing to tender. What a scammer Government and President!”