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PDP Reacts After Lai Mohammed ‘Begs’ Nigerians To Forgive Buhari Over Certificate Saga

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2023: APC Planning 3rd Term Agenda For Buhari - PDP Alleges In Fresh Alarm
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PDP Calls For Buhari’s Resignation

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately step down as Nigeria’s leader.

The major opposition party made the call in its reaction to a trending video in the social media where Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, appealed to Nigerians over the President’s WAEC certificate saga.

In the video, which appeared on social media on Friday, the minister said Nigerians should forgive President Buhari for not knowing where he kept his certificate, having left secondary school 53 years ago.

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“Fifty-three years after a fellow had left secondary school, 53 years! I think we should pardon him if he does not even know where he has kept it (certificate),” Mohammed said in the viral video.

Reacting, PDP’s spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan in a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, said: “Our party mocks the Buhari Presidency for pushing out the video wherein the minister pleaded with Nigerians to pardon President Buhari over his false WAEC certificate claims.

“PDP notes the deliberate ploy of Alhaji Mohammed to appeal to sentiments, seeing that Mr. President had failed to defend himself before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.”

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The party added that Alhaji Mohammed as by his action, acknowledged guilt on behalf of his principal, however noting that the action cannot save the President from the course of justice in the pending petition.

Naija News recalls the WAEC certificate saga is one of the basis the PDP and its 2019 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar are challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC at the 2019 presidential election in the country.

However, the minister has disclosed the trending video is an old video from the days when he was the spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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The video is said to be an extract from an interview he granted Channels Television on January 22, 2015 which was doctored and re-circulated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOxXsZtK4xM

He blamed the opposition for making it appear he spoke recently and in his capacity as the minister of information, noting that their political antics won’t work.

In a statement at the weekend by his media aide, Mr Segun Adeyemi, the minister said: “A pattern is emerging of the antics of the desperate opposition to latch on to the use of fake news and disinformation as a strategy to trigger chaos in the country.

“They doctored and circulated the video of my appearance on Channels Television in January 2015 (when I was the spokesman of the APC) to make it look like I was begging Nigerians to forgive President Buhari for not having a school certificate.

“Worse still, they posted the video afresh, giving the impression it happened last Thursday and that I acted in my capacity as Minister of Information and Culture.

“Unfortunately for them, this doctored video came out on the same day a report emerged that the PDP had sent lawyers and party agents to the University of Cambridge (in the United Kingdom) to confirm the authenticity of the President’s West African School Certificate, only to be stunned to discover that not only did the President write the examination, he also passed.

“One would have expected a party that trumpets its belief in the rule of law, a party that challenged the result of the last presidential election in court, to wait patiently for the impending judgment on the issue, instead of engaging in underhand tactics and resorting to self-help.”

The statement warned Nigerians to be wary of fake news and the diluted information coming from social media.

“This is just the beginning. Nigerians should expect an explosion of fake news and disinformation in the days and weeks ahead. This is because the desperation of this opposition is alarming. But their strategy will fail, just like every other dubious strategy that they have been employing in their desperate bid to grab power,” he said.