The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation on Wednesdayraised the alarm that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, is trying to smuggle a newly acquired certificate into the Independent National Electoral Commission through the backdoor.
The PDPPCO declared that if INEC allows such a thing happen, it will put a serious question mark on its impartiality and credibility of the commission.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, raised the alarm at a press conference in Abuja.
Fani-Kayode contended that if INEC has received the certificate of the APC presidential flag bearer, it would mean that it (the commission) has collected his newly-acquired certificate 40 days outside the stipulation of the law.
Chief Fani-Kayode, in the text of his address, titled: “Certificate Saga: Buhari Sinks Deeper With Lies,” said: “Yesterday (Tuesday), General Muhammadu Buhari made a shocking and belated disclosure that the Independent National Electoral Commission has his documents.
“He has not been specific about the documents he is referring to, but it is very clear that this is yet another squalid attempt to give the Nigerian people the impression that INEC has his certificate.
“If this is true, it represents a somersault from his original position which was that INEC has his affidavit and it once again reveals General Buhari for what he is.
“With this latest antic, General Buhari is obviously trying to smuggle a newly acquired certificate into INEC through the backdoor.
“If this is true and if INEC allows such a thing to happen, it would put a serious question mark on its impartiality and credibility.
“It would mean that it has collected his newly-acquired certificate, 40 days outside the stipulation of the Law.
“We say this because Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act says INEC shall within 7 days of the receipt of the receipt of the personal particulars of the candidate; publish same in the constituency….”
Chief Fani-Kayode maintained that INEC “must come clean on this matter; otherwise we will be compelled to pass a no-confidence vote in it”.
He added: “If INEC is complicit in the desperate and despicable attempt to extricate General Buhari, without compliance with the provisions of the law, from this lingering embarrassment, we will have no other choice than to harbour the suspicion and fear that the Electoral Body is already compromised and can lend itself to the ungodly agenda of truncating our victory when our candidate wins.”
Fani-Kayode appealed to the election observers to keep watch of the unfolding events regarding General Buhari’s qualification or otherwise.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDPPCO listed what he described as “facts already in the public domain which are incontrovertible” as:
*That Muhammadu Buhari (Not Mohammed Buhari) neither submitted nor attached any personal document to form CF001 he filled to INEC.
* That the INEC form part C specifically stated that PERSONAL (i.e Certificate) documents should be attached but Buhari did not attach any as of 18th December, 2014, the last day according to INEC guidelines for submission of form CF001.
* That Buhari was the only candidate whose documents were not published like other presidential candidates as stipulated by law, having not attached any certificate previously.
*. That INEC had acknowledged that fact after publication of particulars of all candidates last year and had not controverted these facts, having itself published the documents attached by all other candidates except Buhari who did not submit any document apart from INEC’s own CF001 form and an affidavit, a court document all of which do not represent PERSONAL DOCUMENT of Buhari.
*.That as at 12 midnight on 30th December, 2014, the expiration of time provided by law for the substitution of candidates, APC did not avail itself that opportunity of substituting the unqualified Buhari for a duly qualified presidential candidate.
*. That Buhari’s only response in his affidavit form in the public domain and displayed by INEC in the 774 LGAs that form the single constituency for presidential contestants was to the effect that “All my academic qualifications and certificates are currently with the secretary of the military Board as at the time of this affidavit dated 24/11/2014.” This affidavit, a very arrogant and whimsical response that his credentials were with the Military Authorities, is in the public domain. If Buhari’s assertion is true, the question is, what is INEC now up to collecting new documents from him through the backdoor, 40 days after the requirement of law?
*. That the military authorities came in the open to clarify that the only document in respect of Buhari’s WASC was an anticipatory letter by his principal that “Buhari would pass” – NOT THAT BUHARI PASSED.
*. That Buhari’s imperial response at a later press conference was that his alma mater, Government College Katsina, would publish his result when available. How come he now says that INEC has collected his document and why should INEC do so after the statutory time limit?