Buhari and Atiku raise eyebrows as their nomination forms leave many questions unanswered

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and his main challenger former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have both raised eyebrows with their submissions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) yesterday that left many questions unanswered.

Under Nigeria's electoral rules, candidates have to submit their credentials to Inec along with their nomination forms and yesterday, both aspirants did so but their submissions raised many questions. President Buhari failed to attach his academic certificates, saying they are still with the Nigerian Army, while Alhaji Abubakar filed tax returns declaring a personal income of N60.2m ($166,000) over three years, thought to be well below his net worth.

In what is expected to be a two-horse race, President Buhari is standing as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, while Alhaji Abubakar is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer. President Buhari's submission did not include his certificates, however and in an affidavit attached to his form, he said his credentials are still with the military.

Alhaji Abubakar's submission also raised eyebrows as he indicated in his tax returns attached to his presidential nomination form that he paid N10.8m in income tax between 2015 and 2017. Reputed to be a billionaire and one of Nigeria’s richest men, Alhaji Abubakar has been campaigning citing his ability to create millions of jobs as, according to him, he does now so through  his numerous companies.

Given his reputed wealth that includes owning factories, a private university, a private jet and a host of companies, his declared income of N60.2m over three years is likely to surprise many. In his form, he indicated that his highest educational qualification as a Diploma in Law obtained in 1969 from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in an affidavit to support his form, said his credentials are still with the military. As happened four years ago, President Buhari's failure to attach his O'Level certificate to his presidential nomination form created a lot of controversy, forcing the Nigerian Army to say it did not have the document.

In the sworn affidavit, President 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.”

Apart from President Buhari and Alhaji Abubakar, 74 other people have so far filed nomination forms with the Inec to run for Nigeria's presidency on February 16. Yesterday, Inec  published the names and particulars of the candidates as well as those running for senatorial and House of Representatives seats in Nigeria's 36 states.

Some of the other presidential candidates whose names have been published include Obadiah Malaria of the African Democratic Congress, Donald Duke of the Social Democratic Party and Olusegun Mimiko of Zenith Labour Party. Senatorial candidates who names were published include former aviation minister Stella Oudh, outgoing Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun, former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswan and ex-internal affairs minister Abba Morro.