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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration in an affidavit supporting his nomination form that his certificates are with the military, makes him ineligible to contest the 2019 presidential election.
The party also warned President Buhari not to allow his personal ambition to push the nation into chaos. PDP, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, noted that by failing to write to the military authorities to release his certificates, the president leaves Nigerians with no option than to hold that he does not have the credentials.
It stated that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) did not provide that affidavits could be used as a substitute for any candidate’s credentials. “Moreover, Mr. President’s affidavit also shows that he did not submit any certificate in 2015, making his candidacy for that election improper and defective under our laws,” PDP noted. The main opposition party warned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not to succumb to pressure to manipulate the electoral process in favour of President Buhari. The party noted that the warning was predicated on an alleged secret meeting the INEC chairman held with President’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, at the Presidential Villa last Friday.
“Prof. Yakubu should note that the polity is already tensed over INEC’s listing of President Buhari for election despite his failure to present the constitutionally required academic credentials like other candidates. “This development casts a dark shadow on the credibility of INEC to conduct a transparent election,” PDP stated.
It reminded Yakubu of the public criticisms that have been trailing his declaration that Nigerians should go to court over the certificate saga, adding that such statement betrayed an electoral umpire who is under threats and heavy pressure to abdicate his statutory duty of enforcing constitutional requirements for elections. According to the PDP, “Allowing such siege mentality on our democratic institutions to fester willsurely spell doom for our nation.
“Now that Nigerians have rejected President Buhari’s affidavit and insisted on his certificates, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is left with no option than to accept its selfinflicted misfortune.” PDP said it is ready for election, claiming that its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has met all the requirements for the election and is enjoying the support of the majority of Nigerians.
“Nigerians are tired of a deceptive, dishonest and grossly incompetent Buhari administration, which has brought so much anguish and pain to our nation,” the party added. INEC, however, declined to react on the issue. Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, noted that it is not healthy for the commission to join issues with any political party.