Femi Adesina, the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has exposed the rationale behind Buhari’s decision not to release his West African School Certificate during the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections. Adesina shared insights from his book, ‘Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015 – 2023).’
According to Adesina’s book, Buhari deliberately refrained from releasing his certificate to thwart those criticizing it. The ex-president stated, “I always had it but refused to release it so that those venting spleen on it could please themselves.” This decision led to public outrage and skepticism during the build-up to the 2019 general elections.
In November 2018, Buhari was presented with a Letter of Attestation by officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), as revealed in a video posted by his aide, Bashir Ahmad. Buhari explained in the book that he discovered copies of his certificate while going through a drawer in 2018.
The ex-president emphasized the significance of his educational qualifications, asserting, “it would have been impossible for me to attend the Defence Services Staff College, India (1973), and thereafter, the United States Army War College, as a Nigerian military officer if I didn’t sit for the WASC examinations in 1961.”
Buhari recounted his educational journey, highlighting the military examination and the necessity of subjects like English, Mathematics, and General Knowledge in military training. He detailed the challenges faced during military examinations, such as navigating the bush with only a compass and utilizing mathematical principles like the Pythagorean Theorem.
Adesina’s book also sheds light on Buhari’s resistance to sacking the embattled governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, amid speculations about his presidential ambition in the 2023 general election. Additionally, the book quotes Buhari expressing a preference for extraditing the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to face trial in Nigeria rather than resorting to elimination.
