One of the main requests of the PDP and Atiku at the electoral tribunal is to declare President Muhammadu Buhari unfit to lead due to him being unable to prove the legitimacy of his WASC results although the President has always held that his results are with the Nigerian Army as they were a requirement with which one was admitted into the Nigerian Armed Forces.
To clear the air, the lawyers of President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the ongoing Presidential Election Petition Tribunal tendered the West African School Certificate and evidence of graduation from the Katsina Provincial School in Katsina state.
The certificate was tendered at the second day of the All Progressives Congress defence.
In one of the video clips tendered by the petitioners into evidence by the judges on the 15th of July, the army confirmed that the Buhari had presented a West African Examination Certificate with credits in English language, History, Geography and a pass in English Literature although the results themselves were not in their possession.
A course mate of president Buhari who was a witness for the defence, Maj. Gen Paul Tarfa (rtd) stated that not only was the second defendant an excellent officer who passed in flying colors, he also stated that they were taught strictly in English language.
He also added that some other colleagues who were admitted on the 16th of April 1962 included notable officers as Col A.C Ojukwu and Brig. Gen Shehu Yar’Adua.
The witness under further cross examination from chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to the 2nd respondent stated that he and other students and candidates and course mates were never asked to personally submit their certificates.
He said it was the schools that forwarded their certificates to the Nigerian Army, stressing that, President Buhari was correct that his certificate is indeed with Nigerian Army.
When reminded by Yunus Usman (SAN), counsel to the 1st respondent (INEC) that he was under oath and asked to confirm that “he and other course mates were asked to hand over their certificates to the Nigerian Army during enlistment” Tarfa replied emphatically that “there was nothing like that.”
In stark contrast to scenes from when the petitioners brought forward witnesses that could not defend their positions, the counsel to the petitioner, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) profusely appreciated the witness for being truthful.