*Posers raised on discrepancies in President’s name in different documents; number of subjects sat for
By Frank Momoh
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has told the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja that the body has no hand in the issuance of results to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Cambridge University International Assessment Education.
The Council also stated that the assessment result sheet issued to Buhari is not the same thing as a certificate.
The Deputy Registrar in charge of School Registration, Henry Adewunmi made the clarification on Wednesday at the resumed hearing of candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party, the PDP challenging the declaration of Buhari as winner of the February 23 presidential poll.
According Adewunmi, the assessment, which led to the issuance of result to Buhari, was moderated by the Cambridge Assessment International Education in conjunction with WAEC.
Adewunmi, who was led in evidence by Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), told the tribunal that 18 candidates sat for the 1961 WAEC exam and that Buhari was inclusive and indeed number two on the candidates’ list.
Testifying further he claimed that Buhari sat for 8 subjects and had credits in five subjects which comprised; Oral English C5, History A3, Geography C6, Hausa Language C5 and Health Sciences C6.
The witness maintained that Buhari was educated up to Secondary School level and was awarded aggregate 32 and grade 2 for his performance.
However, under cross examination by Atiku and PDP’s counsel, Dr Livy Uzoukwu, the witness admitted that the assessment result issued to Buhari by Cambridge Assessment center was not equal to a certificate.
Besides, the witness who claimed to have worked with WAEC for 30 years said that the assessment report of Buhari is not a document from WAEC because it is bearing Cambridge University Assessment International Education.
Further cross examined by the petitioners Adewunmi admitted that he never worked with the University of Cambridge and that his own signature is not on the assessment report.
He added that the attestation letter issued to Buhari on November 2, 2018 was not a certificate and it can be issued under various conditions.
Another witness, Mohammed Abba, a Senior Special Assistant to Buhari, who identified the Second Respondent (Buhari) in a group photograph of the 1961 set of Katsina Provincial Secondary School, said that the result sheet possessed is not same as a certificate.
Abba claimed that he has known Buhari for over 30 years but that he never served in the Nigerian Army and was never a schoolmate to Buhari.
He said that the fact he deposed to in his witness statement on oath were obtained from the Curriculum Vitae and available record on Buhari.
When presented with Buhari’s CV, Abba told the tribunal that although schools attended by Buhari were listed but no certificate is listed in the CV or attached to it.
On the differences in the name Mohamed Buhari contained in the Cambridge documents and Muhammadu Buhari being the real name of the Second Respondent, the witness maintained that the two names are the same in Islam.
Two other witnesses called by Buhari, Mohammed Kwatu, a retired broadcaster in Niger State and Usman Dagona, a businessman in Nasarawa State maintained that the February 23 presidential election was free and fair.
When their attention was drawn to some results sheets, they told the tribunal that they were not at the point where alterations were carried out by INEC officials.
Buhari, who opened his defense in the petition against his election on Tuesday, has so far called 7 witnesses, who testified for him and also tendered several documents through his counsel.
Meanwhile, further defence in the petition continues on August 1.