"I Sat For WASC Exams Alongside Buhari" — Former Classmates Defends Gen. Buhari

The President of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal between 1999 and 2009, Justice Umaru Abdullahi, on Wednesday said he sat for the West African School Certificate exams in 1961 alongside General Muhammadu Buhari. In an interview with The Leadership newspaper on Wednesday, Justice Abdullahi, 75, said he and a few other prominent Nigerians were Mr. Buhari’s classmates at the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina (now Government College, Katsina) and that the APC candidate was among the most brilliant students then.

“I, Buhari and some others had the best results during our final examinations in secondary school back then, He was a very brilliant student in school, no doubt; we attended the same school from primary to secondary school.” Leadership quoted the retired judge as saying.

The report also quoted a retired Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie, as confirming Mr. Buhari’s attendance and graduation from Katsina Provincial College.

The paper quoted Mr. Coomassie as saying, “While we were in school, Buhari was the head boy. He loves playing football. We were all close friends in school. After we finished secondary school, General Buhari decided to join the military, I joined the police and Justice Abdullahi decided to go to the university. I, the late Shehu Yar’Adua, the late Halilu, a Grand Khadi in Katsina, Senator Abdul Ali, a Senator in the 2nd Republic and several other attended the same school.”