Buhari And I Joined Army Without Submitting Certificates, General Tafa Tells Tribunal

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday opened his defense against the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging his victory in the February 23 general elections.

Buhari’s first witness was a retired army officer, in the person of Major General Paul Chaguri Tafa.

Tafa admitted being enlisted into the Nigerian army on April 16, 1962, alongside Buhari.

Tafa said the then military authority never asked them to submit their certificates upon recruitment into the Nigerian army.

When cross-examined by Ustaz Usman (SAN), lawyer to INEC, Tafa told the tribunal that Buhari passed the course in flying colours, adding that Brig. General Olawole Oni, Maj. Gen. Durojaiye Ajayi, the late Brig Gen Abdullahi Shelleng, late Maj. Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua, Col J.C. Ojukwu, etc were his course mates.

He told the tribunal that he had known Buhari for upwards of 57 years.

Also testifying for the 2nd respondent was Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He identified a letter from the US Army in 1983, written to General Alani Akinrinade, commending Buhari.

He also identified Buhari’s CV.

“Since August 27, 2015, I have been President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff and since then, all his addresses to the nation has been in the English language.

“All my official communication with him is in the English language because it is the official language used in the country.”

Answering questions from Fagbemi, APC’s lawyer, Kyari confirmed that he collected documents from Cambridge University International Assessment on behalf of Buhari on July 18, 2019, saying he had known the president for nearly 40 years.

On the former VP’s origin, Kyari said Jada in Adamawa was part of Cameroon, admitting that Atiku was born in 1946 in Jada.

He said he was aware that a plebiscite was held between Northern Cameroon and Nigeria.

Before the 1961 plebiscite, he admitted that anyone born in Jada was a citizen of Cameroon following the French policy of assimilation.

Upon cross-examination by Atiku’s counsel, Kyari admitted that an exhibit, a newspaper publication, was made on December 12, 2014, admitting that as at then, the 1st petitioner was a vice president of Nigeria for eight years.

Kyari, 67 years, said he was not Buhari’s classmate, and never knew Atiku’s grandfather as well as the father.

He admitted that no certificates were listed by Buhari in his curriculum vitae.

On Buhari’s CV submitted to INEC, Kyari said the institutions Buhari attended were mentioned but that no certificate was listed, adding that he was never a military man.

More so, Kyari admitted that the Diploma in Strategic Studies claimed by Buhari was not listed in the CV.

When asked whether he had any of the certificates claimed by Buhari with him, the witness said “no”.

Earlier, the 2nd witness called by Buhari was Suleiman Isa Mai’Adua, a retired civil servant.

Suleiman admitted that he attended the same secondary school with Buhari, and also had a photograph with him alongside tutors and other classmates.

He identified himself and Buhari in a photograph, admitting that the English language was a medium of instruction for the school.

Upon cross-examination by APC lawyer, he admitted writing an examination in 1962, saying the picture was taken in 1961.

He told the court that Umaru Abdullahi was in the photograph, who eventually was a retired president of the Court of Appeal.

Responding to Atiku’s counsel upon cross-examination, the 2nd witness said Buhari was recruited into the Nigerian army in 1961.

The 77-year old witness admitted that he was never in the army, saying he did not know the secretary of the then military board.

Also, he said he had not seen the form submitted to the Nigerian army by Buhari, admitting that pictures were not certificates.

He said he knew that Buhari had two certificates.

Earlier, the tribunal had admitted a set of documents tendered by Buhari’s lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN).

Some of the documents were newspaper publications as well as certified true copies of documents from Cambridge University International Assessment for WASC.

However, Atiku’s counsel, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), who opposed the two sets of documents, said he would advance his reasons in his final written address.

“We vehemently oppose these strange documents. The elusive WAEC certificate is not therein. Besides, these documents were not front-loaded in the list of documents,” Uzoukwu stated.

Proceedings continue on today.