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Questions raised over Atiku’s claims he earned N60m in 3 years, whereabouts of Buhari’s certificate

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The release of details of the presidential candidates for the 2019 general elections has thrown up some interesting scenarios over the documents submitted by the two leading candidates in the presidential election.

While the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar declared a personal income of N60.2 million in three years, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) insists that his academic credentials are still with the military.

This is according to the papers they submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of the requirements to be fulfilled as candidates for the election.

Also, the PDP candidate, Atiku in the papers released by INEC on Thursday, revealed that he paid a personal income tax of N10.8 million between 2015 and 2017.

For many, Atiku’s claim of a paltry N60.2 million income in three years may be far from the truth as he is reputed to be a billionaire and one of the richest Nigerians available.

It will be recalled that the former vice president has always claimed to be one of the biggest employers of labour in the country and has vigorously campaigned on that basis, insisting he will create employment for Nigerian youths, saying that’s what he knows how to do best.

It is however curious that the same acclaimed employer of labour, with known chains of companies has only earned N60.2 million in three years.

Read also:2019: INEC releases provincial list of presidential, N’Assembly candidates (See names)

Another curious aspect of the submission of the PDP candidate is that the public is in the dark as to the sources of the income as many have wondered if the former Vice president does not have any income either as director or chairman of his many companies and business interest within and outside the country.

More intriguing however is President Buhari’s claim in an affidavit he submitted to INEC that his credentials are still with the military.

President Buhari said in the affidavit: “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.”

It would be recalled that President Buhari, as candidate of the APC in 2014 also filled a similar affidavit saying he has his credentials with the military.

Despite the controversies this claim brought up then, it remains curious that even as President, the APC candidate did not and has not taken any step to retrieve certified true copies of the credentials.

This is even more so knowing that he would need same for his second term ambition.

The feeling in many quarters is that the President is knowingly taking Nigerians who frowned at the 2014 claim for granted by not making any move to retrieve these credentials.

 

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