Abuja Lawyer Drags Buhari To Court Over Certificate Controversy

The controversy over the All Progressives Congress, APC, General
Muhammadu Buhari's academic certificate has shifted to the court, as
an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Chike Okafor has asked a Federal High Court
sitting in Abuja, to disqualify Buhari from contesting February 14
presidential election on account of false information given by the
candidate in the affidavit he submitted to the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, in support of his nomination form.

Okafor in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/01/2015, predicated the case on Section
131 of the Constitution which prescribes a minimum qualification for
nomination to participate in Presidential elections and Section 31 of
the Electoral Act that stipulates all presidential candidates to
depose an affidavit in proof of compliance with constitutional
requirement to be President of Nigeria.

The claimant is contending in the suit that Buhari failed to prove
that he has the minimum educational qualification to run for
President.

He is further contending that Buhari's affidavit that he possesses the
West African School Leaving Certificate (WASC) are false, as not only
did he not attach it to his Nomination Form, as compulsorily required,
but his claim that the certificates are in the custody of the military
had been denied by the Director of Army Public Relations,
Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye.

Okafor is, consequently, praying the court to disqualify Buhari from
contesting the February 14 presidential election, citing Section 31(5)
of the Electoral Act that allows a person that has reasonable grounds
to believe that false information has been given by a candidate in his
affidavit or document submitted to INEC, in support of his nomination
form, to approach the court for the candidate to be disqualified.
--Vanguard