A case thought forgotten resurfaced with potentially interesting consequences when a Federal Judge, Ademola Adeniyi on Thursday 26th May ruled that the President had a case to answer as regards his competence to stand election into the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when he lacks the basic educational qualifications set out in the Constitution.
In a case instituted against him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) by an Abuja based Legal Practitioner, Barr. Nnamdi Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe, Justice Adeniyi dismissed all preliminary objections by the President’s team to frustrate the case.
It will be recalled that a case was instituted against President Buhari in February 2015 challenging his competency to be President due to allegations that he never sat for his Secondary School Certificate and also deposing to a false affidavit about his educational qualifications contrary to the Electoral Act.
Online news platform, The Signal reports that this new development has thrown Aso Rock into a state of chaos as many didn’t even know the case was ongoing. A source close to the matter said “Nobody even knew the case was still on. The story was not even reported in the mainstream media. No paper carried the Thursday ruling. But I can tell you the Presidency is rattled and seriously hoping that the case does not resurface again in the public domain because of the huge embarrassment it could cause the President. But more importantly, there are concerns about the safety of the judge and the plaintiff”
The President had at the time tried everything to frustrate the case including hiring up to 20 SANs to fight the case of Barr. Ahaaiwe. The SANs instead of producing credible evidence instead sought to frustrate the case using every trick and gimmick in the book.
It seems though that the case will move forward with Justice Adeniyi ruling that the suit filed by Nnamdi Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe was competent and the service on Buhari and APC was also competent.
The case has been adjourned till the 16th of June for hearing of the substantive Originating Summons which will determine whether the level of education attained by Buhari’s meets the minimum standards required by the Constitution.