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People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan

Buhari Certificate Controversy: A Tale of Three Acts

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The controversy surrounding General Muhammadu Buhari's academic credentials caught Nigerians off guard, with far-reaching implications for the country's presidential election. PDP, the ruling party, had taken issue with Buhari over his alleged failure to present his academic certificates to INEC, claiming it breached the law and threatened democracy. However, the twist came when the Government College, Katsina, released the Statement of Result and computer printout of Buhari's West African School Certificate (WASC) results from the University of Cambridge, which put the matter to rest. Yet, PDP alleged that the results presented by Buhari had been forged. Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, canvassed the postponement of the general election to allow INEC more time to distribute the permanent voter cards, a move that sparked heated debate.

Key Takeaways:

  • The controversy surrounding Buhari's academic credentials was sparked by PDP, which claimed he breached the law by failing to present his academic certificates to INEC.
  • Buhari's secondary school, Government College, Katsina, released the Statement of Result and computer printout of his WASC results, which contained credits in English Language, Geography, History, Health Science, and Hausa.
  • The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate confirmed that Hausa language was one of the subjects set for WASC in 1961, debunking claims that the results presented by Buhari were forged.
  • The National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, suggested the postponement of the general election to allow INEC more time to distribute the permanent voter cards, a move that sparked heated debate.
  • The INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, rejected the idea of postponement, citing the electoral law that requires elections to hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of the last holder of the office.
  • PDP's ploy to recover from a perceived low popularity rating was seen as a major factor in their opposition to the election, despite concerns over the security implications of disenfranchising millions of eligible voters.

Statistics:

  • 68,833,476: the number of registered voters in Nigeria.
  • 54,341,610: the number of PVCs printed by INEC.
  • 38,774,397: the number of PVCs collected by voters as of 20 days to the election.
  • 10 years: the minimum number of years required to gain exemption from School Certificate level or its equivalent.
  • 1 year: the minimum number of years required to gain exemption from School Certificate level or its equivalent through attendance at courses and training.

Sources:

  • "The twist in the Buhari certificate controversy and the NSA's call for the postponement of the general election took everybody by surprise." (This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX, Jan 26, 2015)
  • "The Nigerian Army also joined the fray... On Tuesday, the Army publicly released the academic details of Buhari, but said it could not vouch for the authenticity of his WASC results." (This Day, Jan 26, 2015)
  • "The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate confirmed that Hausa language was one of the subjects set for WASC in 1961." (This Day, Jan 26, 2015)
  • "The INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has rejected the idea of postponement, saying the elections will go on as scheduled." (This Day, Jan 26, 2015)
  • "Copyright This Day. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)." (This Day, Jan 26, 2015)

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