An Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Chike Okafor, has asked the Federal High Court to disqualify All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate General Muhammad Buhari from contesting the 2015 presidential elections over irregularities in his certificate.
Okafor hinged his Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/01/2015 on Section 131 of the Constitution, which prescribes a minimum qualification for nomination to participate in presidential elections and Section 31 of the Electoral Act that stipulates that all presidential candidates should depose to an affidavit in proof of compliance with constitutional requirement to be president of Nigeria.
According to the plaintiff, Buhari has failed to prove that he has the minimum educational qualification to run for president.
The main grounds of the suit also include:
that Buhari’s claimin his Affidavit that he possessed the West African School Leaving Certificate (WASC) is false;
that he did he not attach the certificate to his Nomination Form, as compulsorily required;
That his claim that the certificates were in the custody of the Military has been denied by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Olajide Laleye.
Okafor therefore wants the Federal High Court to disqualify Buhari from contesting at the 2015 general elections.
He cited Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act that allows a person that has reasonable grounds to believe that false information has been given by a candidate in his affidavit or document submitted to INEC, in support of his Nomination Form, to approach the Court for the candidate to be disqualified.
