Nigerian Army denies being in possession of Buhari’s original certificates

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Tobiah Minimah

The Nigerian Army has said it does not have the original, certified true copy or statement of results of retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate for the February general elections.

 Director of Army Public Relations, Brig-. Gen. Olajide Laleye, said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

 Laleye said that the entry made on the Nigerian Army Form 199A at the point of documentation after Buhari was commissioned as an officer, indicated that the former Head of State obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961.

“With credits in relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, History, Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature.

“Neither the original copy, certified true copy (CTC) nor statement of result of Major-.Gen. Mohammadu Buhari‘s WASC result is in his personal file.

 Laleye said that the army holds the retired senior officer in high esteem and respect and would not be a party to any controversy surrounding his eligibility for any political office.

 He said that suffice to state that Buhari rose steadily to the enviable rank of Major General before becoming the Head of State of the country in December 1983.

“The media hype on the retired Buhari’s credentials as well as numerous requests made by individuals and corporate bodies to the Nigerian Army on this issue have necessitated that we provide the facts as contained in the retired senior officer’s service records.

“Records available indicate that Buhari applied to join the military as a form six student of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, on Oct. 18, 1961.

“His application was duly endorsed by the principal of the school, who also wrote a report on him and recommended him to be suitable for military commission.

“It is a practice in the Nigerian Army that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers’ cadre of the service, the selection board verifies the original copies of credentials as presented.

“There is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s,” Laleye said.