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Nigeria finally embraced democratic governance on May 29, 1999, after enduring years of arrests, imprisonment, and assassinations of pro-democracy activists under military rule. This transition, which drove the military back to the barracks and marked a new beginning, is typically known as Nigeria’s fourth republic. This period has been the longest stretch of civilian rule without military interference since Nigeria gained independence in 1960.

Despite facing challenges, the trajectory of Nigeria’s democracy has weathered controversies through the sheer will of its citizens to fortify their young democratic system. Below are some of the significant scandals that have shaken the democratic journey since 1999: Salisu Buhari and His Toronto Certificate The scandal involving Ibrahim Salisu Buhari, the newly appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1999, remains one of the most audacious and blatant cases of misconduct by a political figure in Nigeria’s recent history. Buhari, hailing from Kano State, was found to have falsified not only his age but also his academic qualifications, causing a major uproar within the Green Chamber.



An investigation by The News Magazine uncovered that Buhari claimed to have earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Toronto, Canada, in 1990, along with a diploma in accountancy from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in 1988. Additionally, he purportedly served in the National Youth Service Cor.

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