Nigerian Army Says Its Documentation Does Not Have Buhari's WASC Certificate

The Nigerian Army said in Abuja that its documentation shows that General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961, but that it lacks the credential in his personal file. Buhari, the army said, was recorded as having credits in the relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, History, Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature. A spokesman however said the army does not have in Buhari’s personal file the original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) or statement of result of his WASC result.

“Records available indicate that Major General M Buhari applied to join the military as a Form Six student of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina on 18 Oct 61,” Laleye said. “His application was duly endorsed by the Principal of the school, who also wrote a report on him and recommended him to be suitable for military commission. It is a practice in the NA that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers’s cadre of the Service, the Selection Board verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented. However, there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s.”

Brigadier-General Laleye did not explain why this may not have been followed by the army, or whether this is a common occurrence in the army’s records. 

by sahara reporter