We don't have any copy of Buhari’s academic credentials - Army

The Nigerian Army has said it is not in possession of the original or photocopies of the credentials of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Making the disclosures at a briefing in Abuja, outgoing Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye noted that what the army has, which he displayed are Form 199A, that was filled at the point of entry and some letters of recommendation by Principal of Provincial Secondary School, Katsina.

"Records available indicate that Major General Muhammadu Buhari applied to join the military as a Form Six student of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina on 18 October 1961. His application was duly endorsed by the Principal of the school, who also wrote a report on him and recommended him to be suitable for military commission", he said.

Speaking further, Laleye who said the briefing was necessitated by deluge of requests from civil society groups, the media, etc. over General Buhari's eligibility for any political office, said, "It is a practice in the Nigerian Army that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers 'cadre of the service, the selection board verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented".

"However, there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s. Nevertheless, the entry made on the Nigerian Army form 199A at the point of documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former head of state obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961 with credits in relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, History, Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature".

"Neither the Original Copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor Statement of result of Major General Muhammadu Buhari's WASC result is in his personal file. What I have said here is what is contained in his service records, personal file. We have not added anything nor subtracted anything".