Controversy on my certificate, a PDP mischief – Buhari

The presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammad Buhari, Wednesday in Kano made clarifications on his West Africa School Certificate, describing the controversy generated by the matter as sheer mischief orchestrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Buhari, who spoke to reporters at Kano State Government House, explained that he initially presumed that the certificate was with the Nigeria Army, until the military high Command proved otherwise.

He, however, urged the PDP and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s campaign team to give priority to issues like insecurity, official corruption, poverty and unemployment, instead of mischief and name-calling.

The former head of state also claimed that he sat for WASCE in 1961 with examination number 8200002, adding that he has formerly requested for the certificate from the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, now Government College Katsina, which he attended.

He promised to present his certificate to the general public in due cause.

Buhari said, “I only will read the statement and I will encourage you and advise you to do what you know best. I consented to address you this morning because of the general concern of my many supporters and well-meaning Nigerians that the issue be addressed. Otherwise, I would have dismissed it for what it is—a sheer mischief, and will not have considered it an issue.

“ I assumed all along, all my records were in the custody of the Military Secretary of the Nigerian Army, a position I have been privileged to occupy myself, much to my surprise, we are now told that although, a record of the result is available, there are no copies of the certificate in my personal file. This is why I formerly requested my old school—the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, which is now known as Government College, Katsina, to make available the school copy of the result of the Cambridge West African School Certificate. This will be made available to the press the moment this is available.

“However, let me say for the record that I attended Provincial Secondary School, Kaduna. I graduated in 1961, with many prominent Nigerians, including Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, former Chief of Staff in the Supreme Headquarters; and Justice Umar Abdullahi, former President of the Court of Appeal. We sat for the University of Cambridge WASCE examination together in 1961, the year we graduated.

“My examination number was 8200002 and I passed the examination in the Second Division, and although the ruling party may want to wish this away, the issue in this campaign may not be my certificate which I obtained 52 years ago. The issues are the scandalous level of unemployment of millions of our people, the state of the insecurity, the pervasive official corruption which has improvised our people and the lack of concern of the government to do anything order than deification of power at all cost.”

The Nation.