The All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday, rose in defence of its presidential candidate, former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, over the controversy trailing his academic qualifications.
Also on Friday, the Nigerian Army authorities explained that they do not keep original certificates of officers and men of the armed forces, adding that their personal files contained only photocopies of credentials.
Buhari’s academic qualifications to run for president in the February 14 election became an issue following the disclosure that he deposed to an affidavit informing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that his credentials were with the military secretary.
Speaking with the Saturday Tribune, on Friday, on the controversy trailing the discovery, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the controversy was an assault on the institution of the military.
He added that the insinuation that Buhari was without the requisite academic qualifications before rising to become a general in the army was an insult to the officers that had served the nation.
Mohammed wondered on the kind of politics that would make anyone to think that Buhari would rise to the apogee of his career before becoming the head of state, by being shielded by the system over the academic qualification that was needed for the special military trainings and qualifications he got.
According to him, “how can anyone say someone of General Buhari’s calibre didn’t have secondary school certificate after his career in the military? What kind of politics are we playing? What kind of signal are we sending? Whereas in the developed world, there are certain courses in the military such as staff college or command that are on the privilege of bachelor or masters. Now, if you are now making provocative comments about someone of the status of General Buhari over an issue that one way or the other would soon be sorted out, you are casting aspersions on the entire military and those who had given service to this nation. It shows the kind of politics some people are playing. This is unfortunate and sad.”
Meanwhile, the army also stated on Friday that it does not keep original certificates of any serving or retired officer or soldier.
A top army officer at the Defence Headquarters disclosed on condition of anonymity on Friday that the army could not keep anybody’s original certificate
Saturday Tribune
