— As Segun Sowunmi tackles Keyamo on the citizenship of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar

The spokesperson for the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Festus Keyamo, has said that anyone who occupies public office for a reasonable length of time does not need a WAEC certificate to become the president of Nigeria.

Keyamo made this remarks yesterday when he appeared as guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

He was engaging the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Segun Sowunmi, on the eligibility of Ahlaji Atiku Abubakar to contest the office of the president of Nigeria.

Both men disagreed on the citizenship of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. But when the question about the academic qualification of president Muhammadu Buhari arose, Kayamo said the following:

“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.”

Sowunmi believes the claims by the APC that Atiku is not a Nigerian are just part of the purported acts of the ruling party to distract the former vice president from reclaiming his mandate while Keyamo on his part insisted that Atiku is not a Nigerian.

They, however, exercised restraint on how they addressed the issue as the matter was already in court.