Buhari has no certificate, Okupe insists

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, has said that he stands by his words that the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, is not an electable leader.

Many critics of the All Progressives Congress candidate, including the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who, in the buildup to the March 28 presidential election, condemned Buhari, had subsequently apologised after he won the election.

But Okupe, on Monday said he would stand by his words that Buhari, who he said had no West African Senior School Certificate, was not eligible to contest for President.

He stated on his official Facebook page, “These are very interesting times in our nation. An election has come and gone. A victor has emerged and the loser has conceded.

 “Yet some of our folks are behaving as if we have just gone through a war between two hostile nations. The APC agents all over the place are unrelenting in their tirades of abuses, insults and lies against President Goodluck Jonathan, his aides and supporters.

“It is shameful that we are still saddled with denying falsehood and fabrications in the social media and even by hitherto highly respected newspapers.

“Missing $20bn found in an account in Zenith. PGEJ returns tons of dollars to federation accounts. N2tn spent on elections by PGEJ. Okupe says Chibok girls will not be found. How many lies, deliberate falsehood and evil propaganda, outright curses and attacks must we suffer just because we lost an election in which we were never disgraced?

“Buhari polled 15m (56 per cent) while Jonathan scored 12m (46per cent). Those who talk to us disparagingly should respect the sentiments of the 12m Nigerians who voted for Jonathan.

“Of course, we have our reservations about the results but we will pass on that for now. We have lost this election but this is not and can never be a crime. We are all Nigerians and having lost does not make us less. We should be allowed to bow out peacefully and constitutionally on the 29th of May.

“Yes, I said Buhari was not electable. I also said his victory will not happen. I said and I still insist that Buhari has no WASC certificate. I said a lot of things to promote my candidate and many things to put his opponent down.

“I have no regrets for any of the statements I made. Lai Mohammed said worse. This is the nature of politics. For anyone who cares to listen. We will be back, period.”