ADAMAWA 2019: IS PRIMARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATE NOT SCHOOL CERTIFICATE?

Elections are around the corner again. Politicians and political parties are scheming on how to take over power or how to retain power in places where they are in charge, and therefore political shenanigans, propaganda, lies, outright falsehoods and even hate speeches are all on the increase at this time. These are not the best times for those who value character and decency. I read somewhere some people are calling on INEC to disqualify Gov. Bindow from contesting the 2019 general elections because he doesn’t have his school certificate. Very laughable, how many times will they try the same old trick?  Bindow has been contesting elections since 2011. Between 2011 and now there have been two election circles Bindow has contested in all these elections. At no point was the issue of his WAEC certificate questioned until suddenly in 2018 as soon as he won his party’s primaries.

Each time I read articles on this Bindow certificate issue that has been going on for long, I just laugh. Really, is this how low electioneering campaign has gotten in Nigeria? Asking about Bindow certificate is doubting every institution that Nigeria stands on.
FACTS
let’s look at the constitution requirement to contest for the office of the Governor:   To be elected as Governor of a State in Nigeria, one must fulfill the following requirements:

1. He must be a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
2. He must have attained the age of thirty-five years;
3. He must be a member of a political party and that political party must have sponsored him; and
4. He must also be educated to at least the School certificate level or its equivalent.

By my reckoning school certificate can be either primary school or secondary certificate, because all are school certificate, in the imagination of Bindow’s opponents and traducers, the Governor has not attend primary or secondary school or he has neither certificate to contest in 2019, How can the constitution demands that every Governorship candidate should provide evidence of his certificates to INEC, before he can be allowed to stand to be voted for.

INEC, I am aware has screened every candidate that is to stand for this election and has released their final list. Now the question is: Did INEC screen Bindow too? The question is yes. Did they find anything wrong with his candidature? NO. Now if the Governor’s opponent is saying that Bindow is not qualified, it means that INEC too is not qualified anymore to screen candidate and conduct elections. They should be scrapped so we ourselves will now be the screeners.

Does the constitution mandate candidates to show their certificates to the electorates before they can be qualified to be voted for? No! Has any Governorship candidates in Adamawa State before now shown his certificate to the electorates? NO. Then Bindow does not owe anybody anything concerning his private documents. Asking for his would be treading on his fundamental human right.

The requisite to contest for the office of the Governor in Nigeria is not to show electorates certificate, but to tell them what you have for them and that you are incorruptible.

Nigerians and Adamawa electorates are interested in real issues that affect them daily. Not mundane propaganda about Bindow’s certificate.

Case Dismissed.