29th January, 2015
PRESS RELEASE:
BUHARI’S CERTIFICATE SAGA:
DON’T MANIPULATE THE JUDICIARY
Chukwunweike Okafor , an Abuja-based lawyer and a senior partner at
Emerald Attorneys & Solicitors, has approached the Federal High Court,
Abuja, seeking a special hearing to determine the eligibility or otherwise of
the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress [APC], Muhammadu
Buhari, over his academic qualifications.
While we are aware of the provisions of 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 challenge the
eligibility of the candidate, we have good reason to suspect that the
complainant is acting under influence.
The
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) suspects foul play in this development. Our suspicion is based on two grounds. The first is the desperate moves
being made by the Federal Government to disqualify the APC presidential
candidate. Nigerians were told that Buhari had no secondary school certificate
until the candidate’s school principal released the result of his Cambridge
examination. The principal received several death threats for this.
MURIC
is also in possession of a statement allegedly issued by the National Secretary
of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN),
Mr. Isaiah Adetola, in which he alleged
that the Federal Government was attempting to use the union as a political tool.
Mr. Adetola alleged that JUSUN was manipulated to go on strike in order
to prevent the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court from pronouncing on the
eligibility of President Jonathan to contest for a second term in office.
According to the secretary, the same union is now being used to call off the
strike in order to use the courts to scuttle the 2015 polls.
MURIC
warns the Federal Government against manipulating the judiciary for the purpose
of satisfying its whims and caprices. We also appeal to the judiciary not to
allow itself to be used by desperate politicians.
Preparations for the 2015 general
elections have gone too far and Nigerians are fully charged for the exercise.
Expectations are very high on all sides and any careless intervention can lead
to a general commotion.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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