WAEC certificate: Presidential candidate sues INEC over non-disqualification of Buhari

Chuks Nwachukwu, presidential candidate of All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), has asked a federal high court, Abuja, to disqualify President Muhammadu Buhari from seeking re-election.

In the suit filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nwachuku prayed the court to disqualify Buhari for failing to produce his authentic certificate.

Buhari’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate has been a controversial issue since the buildup to the 2015 presidential election.

He allegedly did not include the certificate in the binder of documents he submitted to the electoral body as required for‎ candidates in an election.

In an affidavit tendered to INEC, Buhari had claimed that his certificate was with the military board.

The military has, however,  said it does not have the document in its possession.

Nwachukwu raised eight questions for determination, among which he asked if INEC “is at all competent to recognize as a candidate of any political party for the office of President any person who fails to submit to the defendant in the prescribed form copies of certificates or credentials in evidence of any qualifications to contest the election to which he lays claim?”

He said the affidavit presented by Buhari to support the claim on his certificate does not hold weight as it did not come with a confirmation note from the military.

He asked the court to declare INEC incompetent “to recognise as a candidate of any political party for the office of President any person who fails to submit to the defendant in the prescribed form copies of certificates or credentials in evidence of any qualifications to contest the election to which he lays claim”.

The matter is yet to be assigned to a judge and no date has been fixed for the hearing.

Meanwhile, WAEC, in November, presented an attestation certificate and confirmation of school certificate result to Buhari.