Headlines
You Don’t Need WAEC Certificate to Become President or Governor, Says Keyamo
Director, Strategic Communications of President Buhari 2019 Presidential Campaign, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has said that, based on the provisions of the Constitution, an aspirant does not need a WAEC certificate to become a president or governor in the country.
Taking to his verified Twitter handle @fkeyamo on Monday, Keyamo had stated, “There are other levels of qualifications to run for the office of president. In fact, if you have occupied the public office for a reasonable length of time, by the provisions of the Constitution, you do not even need a WAEC certificate to become president of Nigeria.”
Keyamo had tweeted his responses at a television interview earlier held on Sunday.
While Keyamo appears to be answering back at the Peoples Democratic Party who had argued that Muhammadu Buhari didn’t deserve to run for presidency on account of the controversies surrounding his WAEC certificate, the Buhari campaign spokesperson alluded to the 2018 Osun governorship election scenario.
“By the definition of ‘School Certificate or its equivalent’ in Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, you don’t need a WAEC certificate to become President or Governor, but if you present a FORGED WAEC or other certificate to INEC for any office you will be disqualified. #OsunStateScenario.”
He added that forgery occurs when the supposed author of a document denies ever making it or denies its authenticity.
Zeroing in on his principal’s certificate imbroglio, Keyamo tweets, “WAEC has confirmed the authenticity of PMB’s certificate by issuing an attestation of it. Case closed.
“In Osun case scenario, WAEC has denied the authenticity. See the difference?
Taking a swipe at those who had criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s WAEC status, the SAN warned that it was “extremely foolish” for anybody who is not statutorily empowered to issue WAEC certificates to challenge the body that has the statutory power to issue certificates.
Let me end my free lecture series by saying that the crux of the matter is that if you don’t have a WAEC certificate, there’s no need to go ahead and forge one in a bid to be governor or president.
You can still be qualified, regardless. That’s the mistake made in Osun case scenario.”
The Punch
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
