My credentials still with military, Buhari tells INEC

Over 70 out of the 91 political parties are presenting
presidential candidates that will participate in the 2019
Presidential elections, The PUNCH can report.

Our correspondent, who visited the FCT office of the Independent
National Electoral Commission on Thursday, reported that over 70
names had been posted as of Thursday night.

The list was posted with INEC’s timetable which fixed October 25
for the publication of candidates of political parties across the
country.

Some of the candidates include: President Muhammadu Buhari of
the All Progressives Congress, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar
of the Peoples Democratic Party, Obadiah Mailafia of the African
Democratic Congress, and former Governor Donald Duke of the Social
Democratic Party.

A source at INEC said the figure might be higher than 70.

He said, “So far, over 70 candidates have been counted. A more
comprehensive list will be published on Friday.”

The source said the ballot paper for the presidential election
would also be long, adding that the announcement of election
results in 2019 might even take longer.

Meanwhile, the various candidates’ credentials were made
available to journalists on Thursday.

Buhari again failed to attach necessary supporting documents,
insisting that they were in the custody of the military.

In the affidavit which he swore to, Buhari said, “I am the above
named person and the deponent of this affidavit herein. All my
academic qualification documents as filled in my Presidential form,
APC/001/2015 are currently with the Secretary of the Military Board
as of the time of this affidavit.”

On his part, Atiku submitted all relevant documents, with a
Diploma in Law in 1969 from the Ahmadu Bello University being his
highest qualification.

The former Vice-President also attached tax returns indicating
that he had paid N10.8m in tax from 2015 to 2017 while declaring
his income within the period as N60.2m.