Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, says the military had admitted losing President Muhammadu Buhari’s certificate.
In an interview with The Nation, Adesina was quoted as saying the issue is dead and those still discussing it are “idle”.
Buhari had failed to submit his academic certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), claiming it is still with the military.
The president’s claim had triggered a controversy on the matter, with some Nigerians insisting he must present his credentials.
Adesina, however, said those raising the issue are the opposition parties whose defeat is “imminent” ahead of the 2019 elections.
“The certificate saga is a dead issue, only idle people will consider it. It is something that had been laid to rest before the 2015 general elections,” Adesina was quoted as saying.
“Those raising the issue are idle and they have run out of ideas. They see defeat staring them in the face and they are desperate to cling to any straw. This issue was resolved before the 2015 election.”
He said when Buhari and some of his colleagues joined the military, their original certificates were taken from them.
“The military knew where they kept the original certificates of the president. In fact, a former chief of defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, corroborated that the military collected the original certificates of all its officers,” he added.
“The military already said they lost the certificates. But does it mean that it did not exist that the president went to school, sat for examinations and passed; attended military courses and War College?
“It does not change the fact that the president rose through the ranks to become a major-general in the Nigerian army and a military head of state.
“Didn’t those opposed to president Buhari go to court over his certificate and lost before? They will still lose this time around. It is a dead issue.”
TheCable reached out to Texas Chukwu, army spokesman, to react to Adesina’s claim but he was unreachable and a text message sent was yet to be replied as at when this report was filed.
