Don’t Cover Up For Buhari – PDP Warns INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Organisation said it perceived that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is covering up for Muhammadu Buhari’s non-compliance with the electoral law concerning his school certificate.

The organisation wants the electoral body to come clean on the issue. At its press briefing, Wednesday, the organisation director, Femi Fani-Kayode, noted Buhari on 27 January said his certificate was with the INEC, which he said was different from his initial claim. Fani-Kayode, referring to Buhari, said it was another “squalid attempt to give Nigerians the impression that INEC has his certificate”.

“If this is true, it represents a somersault from his original position which was that INEC has his affidavit and it once again reveals Gen. Buhari for what he is. With this latest antic, Gen. Buhari is obviously trying to smuggle a newly acquired certificate into INEC through the back door.

“If this is true and if INEC allows such a thing to happen, it would put a serious question mark on its impartiality and credibility. It would mean that it has collected his newly-acquired certificate, 40 days outside the stipulation of the Law,’’ he said.

Fani-Kayode also stated that Buhari had said enquiries on his certificate should be directed to INEC’s legal adviser, but that the same adviser in December 2014 told journalists they have published all documents submitted to them by presidential candidates. He faulted the statement on the basis that Buhari only submitted FORM CF001 (no  certificate attached) and an affidavit.

Fani-Kayode queried how the affidavit transmuted into a document. “The electoral body must come clean on this matter; otherwise we will be compelled to pass a no-confidence vote on it.

“If INEC is complicit in the desperate and despicable attempt to extricate Gen. Buhari, without compliance with the provisions of the law, from this lingering embarrassment, we will have no other choice than to harbour the suspicion and fear that the electoral body is already compromised and can lend itself to the ungodly agenda of truncating our victory when our candidate wins.

“If INEC is complicit in the desperate and despicable attempt to extricate Gen. Buhari, without compliance with the provisions of the law, from this lingering embarrassment, we will have no other choice than to harbour the suspicion and fear that the electoral body is already compromised and can lend itself to the ungodly agenda of truncating our victory when our candidate wins,” he stated.