Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari meets INEC chairman amid President’s certificate controversy

Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the president, hosted Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the presidential villa in Abuja on Friday.

The meeting, which lasted 30 minutes, took place inside Kyari’s office.

Yakubu did not speak with state house correspondents on his way out of the villa.

The presidency has also not issued a statement on the meeting that held while there was an outrage over the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to submit his academic credentials to the electoral body.

At a press conference he held earlier in the day, Yakubu had said those in doubt of claims by candidates in the 2019 elections could head to the court.

Speaking specifically about the personal particulars provided by the candidates, Yakubu said anyone suspecting false claims has the right to file legal action against such candidate.

“Any person with reasonable ground to believe that any information on form CF001 submitted by a candidate contains incorrect or false claims is at liberty to file an action against such candidate at the federal high court or the high court of a state or FCT,” he had said.

“While the current exercise is limited to candidates for presidential and national assembly elections, the personal particulars of those contesting in governorship and state assemblies elections will be published on November 9, 2018, one week after the close of submission of nominations by political parties.”

When reached out to, Texas Chukwu, Nigerian army spokesman, refused to confirm Buhari’s claim, he rather chose to keep mum on the matter.