Is Buhari constitutionally qualified to run for the 2015 presidential election?
Section 131 of the constitution says:
A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if -
(a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
(b) he has attained the age of forty years;
(c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and
(d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if -
(a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
(b) he has attained the age of forty years;
(c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and
(d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
Comments
Zubair, you rightly quoted the provisions as stated in the Constitution. The portion in controversy has been Section 131 (d) that states “at least School Certificate level or its equivalent”. Thus, answering Femigold’s question, the Constitution requires a minimum of “School Certificate level or its equivalent”.
Yomexy, as you rightly stated, the court has the final power to decide. Buhari has been taken before the Federal High Court, Abuja on the allegation that he is not fit to contest for election as the President of Nigeria based on issues bothering on his certificate. However, the court action seemed to have been overtaken by events as Cambridge has finally cleared Buhari of such allegations pertaining to his School leaving certificate.
He not only has the minimum requirement of a Secondary School leaving certificate. He equally has a Masters Degree. According to Wikipedia, “From 1979 -1980, at the rank of colonel, Buhari (class of 1980) attended the US Army War College (established in 1901) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States of America and gained a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies… Upon completion of the on-campus full-time resident program lasting ten months and the two-year-long, distance learning program, the United States Army War College (USAWC) college awards its graduate officers a master's degree in Strategic Studies.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammadu_Buhari)
Thus, from the facts available to all Nigerians and from the provisions of the Constitution, it is my humble view that Buhari is constitutionally qualified to contest as the president of Nigeria. I thus join Fabulousteddy to say that God’s peace shall reign in Nigeria.
I still seek the opinion of others in this regard.