Why Federal High Court did not sack Buhari over certificates

www.odogwublog.com reports had it been the Federal High Court in Abuja had

upheld that Buhari, the APC candidate was not qualified to run for President that blood would have flowed.

A federal high court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria, has struck out two separate suites instituted by Max Ozoaka and Chukwunwike Okafor, seeking the Independent National Electoral Commission to disqualify General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) from contesting the March 28 Presidential election.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the plaintiffs said their decision to withdraw the suites, was in the interest of democracy.

 "We want to allow the president-elect time to do his job without distractions since President Goodluck Jonathan has called to congratulate him even before the final result was announced."

Barrister Chukwunwike Okafor and Max Ozoaka had sued Buhari, the APC and INEC, wherein they sought a declaration that by the combined provisions of Sections 31(1)(2) and (3) of the 2010 Electoral Act as amended and INEC Form CF 001, the 1st defendant (Buhari) is mandatorily obliged by the law to comply strictly with the provisions laid down under the Electoral Act as amended and INEC Form CF 001 as it relates to attaching evidence of his birth certificate and evidence of his educational qualifications as required under INEC Form CF 001.

Okafor among other reliefs, asked the court to declare that “the information contained in Buhari’s affidavit dated November 24, 2014, stating that the Secretary of the Military Board was in custody of his WASSC was false and thereby disqualified him from contesting the 2015 general elections.”

He is contending that Buhari’s form CF001 with the INEC, wherein he stated that he obtained the minimum educational qualification of West African Senior School Certificate could not be valid as the said certificate was allegedly false or not genuine.

The plaintiffs were also asking the court to declare that “the information contained in Buhari’s affidavit dated November 24, 2014, stating that the Secretary of the Military Board was in custody of his WASSC was false and thereby disqualified him from contesting the 2015 general elections.”

The lawyers sought an order of the court “compelling INEC to withdraw, remove and/or delete the names of the 1st and 2nd defendants from the list of persons or political parties eligible to contest for the Office of the President of Nigeria in the 2015 general elections.”