Many Nigerians on Friday expressed outrage at President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to submit his educational certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, as required by law and his claim that the documents were with the military.
Buhari had in a sworn affidavit he submitted along with his forms to INEC on Friday, said all his credentials were with the Secretary to the Military Board.
Angered by the development, several Nigerians on Friday expressed outrage over the President’s “perpetual excuse” of his certificates being in custody of the military, having given same excuse in 2015.
Of the over 420 comments that followed the story on PUNCH website alone as of 11pm, a commenter with the pseudonym, Alex Writes, said, “Buhari, up till now, still makes this silly excuse? Haba! You have contested the Presidency in Nigeria five times without any documents.
“You are busy swearing affidavits up and down. This is a travesty, I must say. It makes no sense whatsoever. Is the military on mars or in this same Nigeria?
A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, pondered over the President’s statement, saying, “Once again, Buhari has refused to submit his West African Examinations Council certificate to INEC. Once again, he says that it is with the military authorities.
“Even though he has been Commander in Chief for the last few years, he has been unable to retrieve them. May God save Nigeria from this man,” Fani-Kayode wrote via his verified Twitter handle, @realFFK.
Another Twitter user and United Nations fellow, Abang Mercy, knocked the President over his statement.
She asked, “This thing Buhari is doing and walking away with, one day we will all see it in much clearer terms. If INEC is demanding WAEC certificate, why can’t Buhari approach WAEC for a reissue? Why does he keep telling us this story about the military? It is the silliest narrative ever out there.”
A Facebook user, Pastor Oluwatosin Olunuga, asked if INEC would have tolerated other presidential candidates if they didn’t have WAEC certificates.
“This is the silliest excuse by any living President. What has he been doing all these years, knowing he was going to need his certificates to contest?
“President Buhari is taking us for a ride and it is corruption. This President is corrupt if he can’t follow due process,” another Facebook user, Jackson Ude, wrote.
Vita, another Punch Online commenter, said bluntly, “I strongly feel that Buhari is a cheat. Thus, he must be disqualified from running for any public office.”
A Twitter user, Thankgod Ukachukwu, with the handle, @kcnaija, wondered why the President was giving the save excuse, while Solomon Oluwatobi, with the handle, @Sololuwatobi, asked the President, “Credentials still with the military? Fine, but did you give them the original copies or don’t you have copies? Why can’t you put devil to shame by saying the truth, Mr President?”
Likewise, @evansodeh2015, threw a jab at Buhari, saying, “Dear President Buhari, Permission to lead a protest on your behalf to demand for the release of your WAEC certificate by the military. We are willing to ‘collect’ tear gas for you, sir.”
On Nairaland, Allwility said, “INEC shouldn’t accept this crappy excuse again. The military should present the said documents or INEC declare Buhari ineligible to run for office of President,” while another commenter, Pacino26, said “They can make a photocopy of it and send na.”
Also, Princemilla wrote that the President should not come up with the same story, saying, “No, we don’t want that story again. We voted Buhari without certificate to oust GEJ. This time, Buhari should show us his certificate.”
Goldcircle said the “affliction should not occur a second time,” while TonyeBarcanista said the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, should instruct the Secretary of Military Board to give (President) Buhari his certificate.
Equally, Seborrhic said the President’s claim only buttressed insinuations in some quarters that he did not have a certificate.
Meanwhile, among the several comments on Facebook, one Celestine Okonkwo, said, “Mr. integrity did not present his credentials to INEC, says it’s with the military. Why did Jega manipulate Buhari into power?”
