The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has charged President Muhammadu Buhari campaign spokesperson, Festus Keyamo, to urge his principal to tender his West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) to the presidential election petition tribunal “and not to insult the sensibility of Nigerians with diversionary tactics.”
Keyamo had on Monday through his Twitter handle @fkeyamo said: “one does not need a WAEC certificate to become a president as long as the person has occupied a public office for a reasonable length of time. There are other levels of qualifications to run for the office of President. If you have occupied the public office for a reasonable length of time, by the provisions of the constitution, you do not even need a WAEC certificate to become President of Nigeria.”
In a response through a statement, PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, Monday called on Nigerians to note that in claiming that an aspirant didn’t need WAEC certificate, but the ability to speak English, to contest for the office of the President, Festus Keyamo, has allegedly admitted that President Buhari didn’t have a WAEC certificate as he submitted in his INEC form.
The party said: “It is completely inexcusable for President Buhari to swear to an affidavit to claim an educational qualification he does not possess.
“An attempt to deceive the public using a defective reading and skewed interpretation of a section of the constitution cannot exonerate President Buhari.
“Moreover, Section 295 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is very clear on issues of interpretations and reference to questions of law.
“The PDP therefore maintains that the onus is on President Buhari, as ‘Mr. Integrity’ to tender the certificate he claims to possess before the tribunal, instead of this lame diversion from Presidential aides.”