Certificate saga: Buhari defends self

THE All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, defended himself over his school certificate saga. This came as his secondary school certificate result emerged, yesterday, when the Katsina State Ministry of Education released a certified statement of result of the presidential candidate’s 1961 school certificate examination.

Before the result was released, Gen. Buhari took a pause from his campaign schedule to address a press conference on the matter. Buhari described as a mischief orchestrated by the Jonathan administration to distract him from the issues of corruption, insecurity and unemployment which he said were at the heart of the campaign.

The production of the school certificate result nonetheless, the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization was, unrelenting as it yesterday called on Buhari to withdraw from the presidential contest on the basis of alleged perjury. The body said Buhari’s earlier claim on oath that his credentials were with the army board had been contradicted by available evidence.

Speaking at a press conference in the Kano State Government House, yesterday, Buhari expressed surprise that the Army board claimed not to be in possession of his certificate. He said he had as such requested his secondary school, the then Provincial Secondary School, Katsina now Government Secondary School, Katsina to provide the result.

Buhari defends self

Earlier at a press conference in Kano, Buhari flanked by his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and party chieftains had read out a press statement.

He said: “I only consented to address you this morning because of the genuine concern expressed by many supporters and other well-meaning Nigerians that the issue be addressed. Otherwise, I would have dismissed it for what it is—sheer mischief— and would not have considered it an issue worth the nation’s while.