2019 election despute: Atiku challenges Buhari again

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party and his party has faulted the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari that his academic credentials are in possession of the Nigerian Army.

While reacting to President Buhari’s response to their petition before the Election Petitioms Tribunal, they disclosed that if the claim was true and the certificates really existed , the president being the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces should be able to issue an order to the army to produce the certificates and other credentials immediately.

The former vice president stated that he attached his academic credentials to the form CF001 submitted by him to the electoral body.

In a petition jointly filed on March 18, the presidential candidate and his party are praying that the tribunal should declare Atiku Abubakar as the real winner of the presidential poll held on Febuary 23 emphasizing that Buhari is not eleigible to contest having not posses the academic qualification he claimed to have in the INEC Form CF001.

They disclosed that the reply which was filed on April 15 by Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) that since the president has not been able to attach his academic credentials to the INEC Form, tagged CF001 had falsely disclosed that his academic credentials were in possession of the military.
Part of the petition statement by INEC can be seen below.

“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”.

“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.”