2019: INEC Reacts to Buhari’s Failure to Submit Certificate for the Second Time

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told critics of President Muhammadu Buhari to go to court over failure of the president to submit his academic credentials to the electoral body.

Mr Buhari who seeks a second term in office failed to submit his educational qualifications to INEC while filling his presidential form.

He, insteatd, attached an affidavit claiming the Nigerian Army of which he served and retired as a major general, were in the possession of his academic credentials.

The claim did not go down well with some Nigerians who mostly said the president was being economical with the truth.

The critics are claiming that the president ought not to give such excuse again since the military was now under his control.

A similar scenario, NGPOLITICS recalls, had played out during the 2015 presidential election but many viewed it as an attempt to frustrate Mr Buhari who was a major contender in the election.

When a legal suit was slammed on Buhari, who was then a presidential candidate, compelling him to produce his certificates, the president hired over a dozen of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to defend his claims. He contested the election and came victorious. Those who initiated the legal redress withdrew their case.

Reacting to the development on Friday, Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC said there was still room for legal redress if anyone who is in doubt of claims by candidates in the 2019 elections.

“Any person with reasonable ground to believe that any information on form CF001 submitted by a candidate contains incorrect or false claims is at liberty to file an action against such candidate at the federal high court or the high court of a state or FCT,” Mr Yakubu said while addressing a press conference.

“While the current exercise is limited to candidates for presidential and national assembly elections, the personal particulars of those contesting in governorship and state assemblies elections will be published on November 9, 2018, one week after the close of submission of nominations by political parties,” he added.