Presidential Election Petition Appeal:

In case we have forgotten, Appeal Court says Affidavits/CVs supersedes Certifictes

#SupremeCourtToTheRescue
# RescueNigeria

On the 11th day of September, 2019, the Justice Garba Mohammed led Panel of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal at the court of appeal, shocked Nigerians, by elevating affidavits and curriculum vitae well above certificates from our institution of learning.

In a unanimous decision, the five man panel of the court of appeal, upheld the election of the 2nd respondent, President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that Buhari was “eminently” qualified even as he failed woefully to present the certificates from the institutions he claimed to have attended.

The petitioners, the PDP and Atiku/Obi had challenged the February 23, 2019, re election of President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC on the following grounds:

Grounds of Petition

1. The 2nd Respondent (Muhammadu Buhari) was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

2. The election of the 2nd Respondent (Muhammadu Buhari) is invalid by reason of corrupt practices.

3. The election of the 2nd Respondent (Muhammadu Buhari) is invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).

4. The 2nd Respondent (Muhammadu Buhari) was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the said election.

5. The 2nd Respondent (Muhammadu Buhari) submitted to the 1st Respondent an affidavit containing false information of a fundamental nature in aid of his qualification for the said election.

Controversial Judgment of the Court of Appeal

While delivering judgments on grounds 4 and 5, Justice Garba’s court held thus:

”There is no evidence before the Court to disclaim or prove that the 2nd Respondent lied that he went to Primary School, Secondary School and that he joined the Army in 1962 with RW1 and many other persons in the 2nd Respondent’s C.V. attached to Exhibit P1 tendered by the Petitioners. Page 1 thereof shows conclusively that he attended Primary School and that he attended Katsina Provincial Secondary School (no Government College) Katsina in 1956 – 1961 and went to Nigerian Military Training from 1961 – 1963. The evidence of RW1 and RW2 bear testimony to the aforesaid facts. The said RW1 and RW2 establish beyond doubt that 2nd Respondent had educational qualifications he filled in FORM CF001 on 8/10/2018.”

This judgment if upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria will totally discredit and render Nigeria’s education a nullity.

Justices of the Supreme Court to the Rescue

We therefore call on the justices of the Supreme Court to rescue Nigeria from this obvious act of brigandage by not upholding the judgement of the court of appeal, otherwise, Nigeria is doomed.

It’s time to #RescueNigeria