The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to present his certificates and not affidavits to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
The leading opposition party said by so doing, he would be complying with the requirement of the nation’s law as one seeking to contest election for the presidential seat.
According to the PDP, Nigerians were sick of the continuous use of affidavit in place of the certificates, hence he should write the military authorities to release the certificates to INEC.
It said in case the president did not have any, he should apologise and allow the nation to move ahead.
The PDP threw the challenge on Friday in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
The party said the fact that the use of the affidavit was allowed for the 2015 election did not make it right.
The party said the inability of the president to make his credential available cast a doubt on his integrity.
It therefore urged Buhari to, like other presidential candidates, submit his certificates.
Said Ologbondiyan in the statement: “President Buhari and the previous INEC succeeded in circumventing the law in 2015 does not make such acceptable in our current electoral process.
“Moreover, President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) must realise that even their followers, that were beguiled in 2015, are currently not prepared to accept ‘NEPA bill’ as WAEC certificate in the 2019 elections.”
The party said instead of presenting affidavit, the president should write to the military authorities to release his certificates to INEC.
The presentation of the document, the party said was a necessary requirement for election into the Office of the President, under section 131 (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
