Abba Kyari has told the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal that he collected the certificates of President Muhammadu Buhari from Cambridge.
He said this in his testimony as the third defence witness for the President who opened his case against the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the Tribunal.
Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the President, made the statement on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, when he was cross-examined by the counsel to the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Lateef Fagbemi.
He said he has been the Chief of Staff to the President since August 27, 2015, adding that all his communication with President Buhari has been in English Language.
Kyari added that he has known President Buhari for over 40 years, stressing that he would be able to identify him in photographs when he was younger.
Kyari also agreed with the APC counsel that Adamawa State was a part of Cameroon under the United Nations mandate in those days, saying Atiku Abubakar was born in Jedda in 1946.
When asked if he had read a biography on the PDP’s presidential candidate, the witness said no.
He was then asked if a plebiscite was conducted between Nigeria and Cameroon and he answered in the affirmative.
The presidential aide was also asked if he was aware that Northern Cameroon chose to stay with Nigeria, and he answered in the affirmative.
He was asked if he agrees that Jeda was a part of Northern Cameroon, he said yes.
He was also asked if he has any of the certificates of the President in court and he said no but he has an attestation from the West Africa Examination Council, WAEC.
Thereafter, counsel to the petitioners, Mr Levi Uzoukwu, told Mr Kyari that he said he was the one who collected the documents from Cambridge.
In his response, the presidential aide said yes, adding that he collected the documents on July 18, 2019.
When asked if he was surprised that he collected the documents long after the petition was filed and after deposing to his witness statement in April, Mr Kyari answered in the affirmative yes.
Earlier the Chief of Staff to the President was called to the witness stand by the counsel to the President and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Wole Olanipekun.
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