Why I Refused to Release My WASSC Result in 2015 – Buhari

In a recent revelation, former President Muhammadu Buhari has shed light on why he deliberately refused to release his West African School Certificate (WASC) during the political turmoil surrounding his high school leaving certificate in the run-up to the 2015 general elections. This insight came to light in a book authored by his former media adviser, Femi Adesina.

According to Buhari, he had always possessed copies of his certificate but chose not to release them to the public, allowing those who criticized him to continue their tirades. In 2018, while going through a drawer, he stumbled upon the certificates and realized that he had held onto them all along.

The turning point came when the WAEC Registrar, accompanied by officials, presented an attestation certificate to Buhari in November 2018. It was at this moment that Buhari decided to speak up about his decision to withhold his WASC result. He emphasized that without passing the WASC examinations in 1961, he would not have been able to attend the Defence Services Staff College in India in 1973 and subsequently the United States Army War College.

Buhari reminisced about his high school days, highlighting the difficulty of committing examination fraud during that time, although acknowledging that it was not entirely impossible. He revealed that he and his colleagues, including Gen. Musa Yar'adua, went through rigorous military examinations when they aspired to join the military. The exams covered English, Mathematics, and General Knowledge, as English was the language of instruction due to Nigeria's colonial heritage. Mathematics and Geography were essential subjects for military training, teaching them how to navigate and calculate their positions using tools like compasses and the Pythagoras Theorem.

In light of this new information, it becomes clear that Buhari's decision to withhold his WASC result was a strategic one. He chose to endure the political backlash in order to maintain his integrity and demonstrate that he had earned his educational qualifications legitimately. This revelation sheds light on the challenges and rigor he faced during his education and military training, further solidifying his credentials as a qualified leader.

In conclusion, Buhari's decision to release his WASC result in 2018 was a calculated move to put an end to the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications. By sharing his experiences and emphasizing the importance of his educational background, he aimed to dispel any doubts about his eligibility to hold public office.