Okowa, APC VP ‘placeholder’ tell INEC academic certificates missing

Some candidates running for the highest office in the country have reportedly told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that their academic credentials are missing.

According to The Tribune, Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate; Ifeanyi Okowa, PDP vice-presidential candidate; Sani Yabagi, Action Democratic Party (ADP) presidential candidate; AbdulMalik Ado Ibrahim, Young Progressives Party (YPP) presidential candidate; and Kabiru Masari, “placeholder” for VP slot of the APC, have all given reasons why they do not have some of their original academic credentials.

BOLA TINUBU

In an affidavit, Tinubu, former governor of Lagos, reportedly said he went into exile during the reign of the late Sani Abacha, former head of state, and at the time he was away from the country his property was looted with his certificates missing.

“I went on self-exile from October 1994 to October 1998, when I returned and discovered that all my property, including all the documents relating to my qualifications and my certificates were looted by unknown persons,” he was quoted as saying in the affidavit to INEC.

ATIKU ABUBAKAR

The PDP presidential candidate, in an affidavit presented to the electoral commission, reportedly said he wished to be known by his current name because his WAEC certificate carries the name “Siddiq Abubakar”.

The former vice-president reportedly declared GCE certificate obtained in 1965 and a master’s degree obtained in 2021.

ABDULMALIK ADO IBRAHIM

The YPP presidential candidate reportedly said he lost his original B.Sc and diploma certificates.

“[I lost my] original BSc certificate issued by American College of Los Angeles, dated 1988; High School Diploma issued to me by Langley High, Norwich, UK dated 1979 and official degree transcript,” Ado Ibrahim reportedly said in an affidavit to INEC.

“That all efforts made to trace the said documents have proved abortive.”

SANI YABAGI

In an affidavit, the ADP standard-bearer reportedly changed the name on his University of Colombia (US) certificate obtained in 1978 from “Sani Yusuf” to “Yabagi Yusuf Sani”.

IFEANYI OKOWA

In an affidavit, the PDP vice-presidential candidate reportedly said his WAEC certificate obtained in 1974 is missing.

“That I personally enrolled and sat for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) West African School Certificate (WASC) examinations in the year 1974 at Edo College, Benin City, in now Edo state,” he was reported to have said in the document.

“That I passed the said examinations and was subsequently issued the said certificate therefore. That the original of the said certificate issued to me is now missing, lost and cannot be found.

“That I make this oath for the records and do so knowing and believing the same to be true and in accordance with the Oaths Law of the Bendel State as applicable to Delta state.”

KABIRU MASARI

Masari, the placeholder for the VP slot of the APC, reportedy said he lost his Katsina teachers college and primary school certificates while in transit in Abuja.

“That sometime in January 2021, while in transit within Wuse Area, FCT, Abuja, I discovered that my original Certificate of Occupancy of plot NoKT 17522, GRA Katsina Estate; Certificate of Kaduna State Development Centre from 1994-95; Grade 11 Certificate from Katsina Teachers College from 1979-83 and First Leaving School Leaving School Certificate issued by Masari Primary School Katsina State from 1972-78 got lost,” he was reported to have said.

“That all efforts made to trace the documents proved abortive hence this affidavit. That this affidavit is required for record purpose and for all authorities and persons concerned to take note.”