21st January, 2015
Premium Times online reported that Government College, formerly Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, which Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, graduated from in 1961, released the result.
The results confirmed Maj. General Buhari’s claim that he undertook the Cambridge West African School Certificate Examinations and obtained five credits in English Language, Geography, Hausa Language, History, and Health Science.
The school made available both the computer printout from Cambridge University as well as a statement of result, signed by the current principal of Katsina College, dated January 21, 2015.
The results show that Buhari, a former military head of state, failed in Mathematics and Woodwork, and had a pass in Literature in English.
The examination centre number was 8280, while Buhari’s candidate number was 002.
The statement of results is printed on the letter head paper of the Katsina State Ministry of Education, and it shows that the examination took place in 1961.
The Cambridge print out also shows the result of 17 other candidates at the centre, including Shehu Yar’Adua, a former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters.buhari-Statement-of-Result
Controversy over Buhari’s result escalated Tuesday after the Nigerian Army, which had earlier admitted to having copies of his certificate, reversed itself, saying it could not even attest to the details listed in his records.
On Wednesday, Buhari delayed his campaign train departure to Katsina to address the issue at a press conference in Kano, where a day earlier he had addressed an unprecedented crowd at the Sani Abacha Stadium.
Buhari told journalists on Wednesday that: “I advise you to do what you know best. I consented to address you this morning because of the general concern of my many supporters and well-meaning Nigerians that the issue be addressed. Otherwise, I would have dismissed it for what it is—a sheer mischief, and will not have considered it an issue.
“I assumed all along, all my records were in the custody of the Military Secretary of the Nigerian Army, a position I have been privileged to occupy myself; much to my surprise, we are now told that although a record of the result is available, there are no copies of the certificate in my personal file. This is why I formally requested my old school—the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, which is now known as Government College, Katsina, to make available the school copy of the result of the Cambridge West African School Certificate. This will be made available to the press the moment this is available.
“However, let me say for the record that I attended Provincial Secondary School, Kaduna. I graduated in 1961, with many prominent Nigerians, including Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, former Chief of Staff in the Supreme Headquarters; and Justice Umar Abdullahi, former President of the Court of Appeal. We sat for the University of Cambridge WASCE examination together in 1961, the year we graduated.
“My examination number was 8200002 and I passed the examination in the Second Division; and although the ruling party may want to wish this away, the issue in this campaign may not be my certificate which I obtained 52 years ago—the issues are the scandalous level of unemployment of millions of our people, the state of insecurity, the pervasive official corruption which has impoverished our people and the lack of concern of the government to do anything other than deification of power at all costs,” he concluded.