Buhari Certificate Saga: Fear Grips APC As Court Orders Accelerated Hearing

There is tension in the opposition All Progressives Congress as a Federal
High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Abdu Kafarati, has given an
order for accelerated hearing in a suit brought by a non-governmental
organization, Global Center for Conscious Living Against Corruption,
asking for an order of mandamus to compel the Inspector General of Police
to investigate allegations of forgery and perjury against the party’s
presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari.

In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/172/2015, filed by Professor Andrew
Chukwuemerie, SAN, the plaintiffs are seeking the order of the court to
order police investigation into the “alleged acquisition and possession of
the West African School Certificate by Gen. Muhammad Buhari at Provincial
Secondary School, Katsina in view of non-production of the said School
Certificate of certified true copy thereof”.


The court originating summons, supported by a 31-paragraph affidavit,
sworn to by Joy Odoh, averred that the Inspector-General of Police has an
obligation under the Nigerian Constitution to investigate allegations of
forgery and lying on oath made against the APC presidential candidate and
that the police had refused to do so despite repeated demands.

One of the exhibits attached to the originating summons by the plaintiff
is a copy of a letter written by the Test Department of the National
Office of the West African Examinations Council in Ghana which states that
Buhari’s name and records were not in its examinations archive thus
suggesting that he was never a candidate for the examination set by the
body.

The plaintiffs contended that Buhari lied on oath and ought to be tried
for perjury when he declared in an affidavit submitted to the Independent
Electoral Commission that his Secondary School Certificate was with the
Military Board, a claim denied by the Board.

The group said the allegations of forgery and perjury were too weighty to
be ignored by the police “which has a constitutional duty to investigate
all allegations bordering on crime in the interest of justice and that all
efforts made to make the police perform its duties have proved futile”.

Meanwhile, subsequent upon an application by the plaintiffs counsel, the
court gave an order for accelerated hearing and directed the
Inspector-General of Police to enter his defence within seven days.

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to determine whether by virtue of
the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Police Act, the Inspector
General of Police is not duty bound to investigate the allegations
especially when the APC candidate has not submitted either an original
copy or a certified true copy of his secondary school certificate to INEC
as required by law.