Buhari Was Our Classmate And The Head Boy In 1961 - Umar Abdullahi, Coomassie

Buhari's class photo in 1960. He's seated third from right.

Two prominent Nigerians the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen Muhammadu Buhari, mentioned as his classmates in secondary school – former president of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Umaru Abdullahi and former inspector-general of police, Alhaji Ibrahim Cooomassie – last night spoke on the personality of Buhari.

In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP in Abuja, Umaru Abdullahi and Coomassie told LEADERSHIP that they and about five prominent Nigerians attended the same school.

Coomasie said Buhari was the head boy and loved to play football during their days in school.

Coomasie mentioned the former PCA Justice Abdullahi; Gen Shehu Musa Yar’Adua; the late Grand Khadi Halilu, and a Second Republic senator Abdul Ali as some of their classmates.

Coomassie said: “While we were in school, Buhari was the head boy. He loves playing football. We were all close friends in school. After we finished secondary school, General Buhari decided to join the military, I joined the police and Justice Abdullahi decided to go to the university.”

“I, the late Shehu Yar’Adua, the late Halilu, a Grand Khadi in Katsina, Senator Abdul Ali, a Senator in the 2nd Republic and several other attended the same school”

On his part, Justice Abdullahi described Buhari as a brilliant student when they were in school, saying he was Buhari’s classmate from primary to secondary school, saying: “I, Buhari and some others had the best results during our final examinations in secondary school back then. He was a very brilliant student in school, no doubt; we attended the same school from primary to secondary school.”

Katsina college confirms custody of Buhari’s result

The controversy over whether or not the presidential flag bearer of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) sat and obtained the school leaving certificate may have been put to rest as his former school confirmed custody of his result.

Authorities of Government College, Katsina, yesterday confirmed that General Buhari sat and obtained the school leaving certificate.

The principal of the school told our correspondent that Buhari obtained the WASC/Cambridge University Exams certificate in 1961, adding that the school had released his result yesterday, in line with general’s request.

“One Prof Haruna Kaita wrote to the school on behalf of General Muhamnadu Buhari, demanding his result and we have since released it to the said professor.”

The principal showed our correspondent a copy of the result but said he would not release it without a formal request.

Although the management of LEADERSHIP promptly wrote to the school, efforts by our correspondent to get a certified copy of the result from the school did not yield a positive result.

The result showed that Buhari got the following scores: English – 5 (credit), Hausa-5 (credit) English Lit – 7(pass), History -3 (Good), Geography – 6 (Credit) Maths – 9 (Fail), Health Science – 6 (credit), Woodwork – 9 (fail).

Why we cleared Buhari to contest - APC Screening Chair

Against the backdrop of the raging controversy over Buhari’s academic records, the head of the APC presidential screening panel, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, has explained why the party’s presidential candidate was cleared to vie for the office of president in the forthcoming February 14 election.

Onu, who is one of the leaders of the party, told journalists in Abuja yesterday that members of the panel adhered strictly to the provisions of the constitution to clear Buhari.

“Really, that issue shouldn’t create the kind of problem that we are seeing today in the polity. When this matter came before us in the presidential screening committee, we had to rely on the constitution of our great country.

“To qualify to be president of Nigeria, you have to be a Nigerian by birth; you have to be 40 years of age; you have to be a member of a political party and that political party must be registered, should sponsor you and finally you should obtain education at least up to secondary school level or equivalent, and our presidential candidate has attended military schools in Nigeria, in India, in the United Kingdom (UK) and in the United States of America (USA).

“And in America, he attended the US Army War College. So, there isn’t any reason whatsoever to create this type of problems that we now have in the polity,” Onu said.

Asked if the panel actually demanded to see a copy of Buhari’s school certificate during the screening exercise, he said: “No, we demanded it but there was an affidavit and you know once you swear to an affidavit, that definitely gives you whatever protection in any matter, not just in this case. But the thing is that we were not doing this for the opposition – the PDP, we were doing it for Nigeria. This is a man who will be president of Nigeria and there is a supreme law, the constitution, that guided us and the issue of qualification is at least a school certificate.

“So if there is evidence that somebody has attended military schools that are tertiary institutions up to the war college of the USA, I mean why should you really go on about school certificate and so on? So all those are in his file. So, I really don’t see why we should be thinking in this direction because the problems before the nation are enormous. We should be looking at how we can solve the problems of insecurity and unemployment,” he said.

PDP demands Buhari’s trial for perjury

The Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused General Buhari of lying under the oath over his certificate, and demanded that he should be interrogated and prosecuted for perjury.

Director, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, said Buhari lied in the affidavit he swore to in which he claimed that his credentials were in the custody of the military.

They also condemned the hurling of stones at the convoy of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina by those they alleged to be supporters of the APC, stating that Buhari and his party will be held responsible if anything untoward happens to the PDP presidential candidate or his supporters during the course of this campaign.

Speaking against the backdrop of Buhari’s defence over the certificate controversy, Fani-Kayode said: “The implication of the action of this so-called “Mr Clean” is nothing but perjury and we all know that this is grave criminal offence under our laws and constitution.

“We urge Buhari to do the right thing and tender an unreserved apology to the Nigerian people, throw in the towel and report to the nearest police station for interrogation and prosecution.”

Fani-Kayode noted the Buhari had insulted the collective intelligence and integrity of the Nigerian people and urged the Nigerian Armed Forces to consider the possibility of stripping him of his rank and privileges, alleging that he was not qualified when he joined the army.

“At best Buhari should never have been anything more than a non-commissioned officer,” he concluded.

On the stone attack of President Jonathan’s convoy in Katsina, Fani-Kayode warned that “if anything untoward happens” to the president or his supporters given the attacks of PDP campaign train in the north, “we shall hold Buhari and his party responsible and the consequence would be grave, unimaginable and far-reaching.”

Fani-Kayode remarke4d that the Katsina incident was the first case of violence unleashed on the PDP candidate by Buhari’s supporters after the signing of the historic Abuja Accord by the presidential candidates of all the parties participating in the election.

“The purpose of that accord was to discourage violence before, during and after the election?” he noted.

Via - Leadership.