There is rising tension in the Presidency as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) threatened to approach the court to challenge the eligibility of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the 2019 presidential election in the storm of the controversies over his credential which he failed to summit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prove his educational qualification. The presidency in its fright is putting up arguments to discourage the PDP from commencing the legal action against the president.
The presidency declared that the raging scandal over the credential of the President does not disqualify President Muhammadu Buhari from contesting the 2019 presidential election.
National Daily learnt that the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, on Monday contested that it is a waste of time to challenge the eligibility of President Buhari to contest the 2019 presidential election in court because of the controversy over his credential which he cannot present to INEC; arguing that the record is available, as well as the higher qualifications obtained by the President.
National Daily recalls that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had vowed to challenge the eligibility of the President to stand for re-election due to the controversy over his academic credentials.
Shehu Gqarba in a statement on Monday declared: “This certificate story is an old one. As Femi Adesina stated clearly, it is a settled issue in the courts. To approach the court to pursue a matter long settled by the temple of justice is an abuse of the judicial system. It is shameful, disgusting and disgraceful.
“It is clear to all at this time that the PDP, facing an imminent humiliating defeat wants to sow division and chaos by seeking the destruction of the institutional structures that support our young democracy.
“They are attacking the courts and the police, they are molesting INEC commissioners. They are theatrical in spreading falsehoods against persons including the President.
“By doing these, they assume that they can take away attention from the discussions on issues gaining momentum in the country; the issue of internal security which has been jeopardized by years of near-zero investment under 16 years of the PDP; the provision of long-delayed infrastructure which the President is pioneering; corruption to which the PDP is incurably tied and the sustenance of the prevailing good days in the economy, a business-friendly government working day and night, creating more jobs and affordable life for the poor.
“This election isn’t about the settled issues of certification. No matter how honeyed their sweet words, don’t believe them.
“Their evil record can never be washed away. The PDP set a record of murdering opponents of government and corruption on a scale never seen anywhere before.
“They put the national security at stake by diverting huge budgetary allocations to service their greed. Don’t believe their honeyed promises.”