You Don’t Need WAEC Certificate to Be President or Governor in Nigeria

#TheKeyamoFreeLectureSeries…

Director, Strategic Communications of the Muhammadu Buhari 2019 Presidential Campaign (official spokesperson), Festus Keyamo (SAN), Monday declared that by definition of “school certificate or its equivalent” in the 1999 Constitution, one is not required to possess the certificate to become president or governor in Nigeria.

Keyamo, in apparent response to

an argument by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Buhari should not have been allowed to contest the election as there were controversies around his WAEC certificate, said there are “other levels of qualifications” required to run for the office of president or governor.

In what he termed “free lecture series,” Keyamo declared:

“Yes. Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution defines ‘School Certificate or its equivalent’ to mean Primary 6 School Leaving Certificate plus the ability to just speak, write, understand and communicate in English language to the satisfaction of INEC. No WAEC certificate is needed.

“There are other levels of qualifications to run for the office of President. In fact, if you have occupied the public office for a reasonable length of time, by the provisions of the constitution, you do not even need a WAEC certificate to become President of Nigeria.

“By the definition of ‘School Certificate or its equivalent’ in Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, you don’t need a WAEC certificate to become President or Governor, but if you present a FORGED WAEC or other certificate to INEC for any office you will be disqualified. #OsunStateScenario.

“Forgery occurs when the supposed author of a document denies ever making it or denies its authenticity. WAEC has confirmed the authenticity of PMB’s certificate by issuing an attestation of it. Case closed. In #OsunCaseScenario WAEC has denied the authenticity. See the difference?

“Let me end my free lecture series by saying that the crux of the matter is that if you don’t have a WAEC certificate, there’s no need to go ahead and forge one in a bid to be Governor or President. You can still be qualified, regardless. 

That’s the mistake made in #OsunCaseScenario.”