Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the disqualification of President Bola Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election over fresh allegations relating to his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
TPCN reports that the suit, which also names the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants, challenges Tinubu’s qualification under Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which disqualifies anyone who presents a forged certificate to INEC for election.
In a rare move, Atiku personally appeared at the court registry on Friday to depose to an affidavit in support of the action, saying the case concerns the integrity of the Constitution and the office of the President.
“I came here personally because the issues before the court go to the heart of our Constitution and the integrity of the office of President. I have put my name, my signature and my oath behind the facts we are presenting to the court. Now it is President Tinubu’s turn to answer them,” he said.
According to the court processes, Atiku alleged that Tinubu submitted to INEC an NYSC discharge certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle,” which differs from Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and asked the court to determine whether the alleged discrepancy amounts to constitutional disqualification.
The plaintiffs also asked the court to compel INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 and other nomination documents submitted for the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections, saying requests for certified copies had not been answered before the suit was filed.
Beyond the certificate issue, Atiku and the ADC are challenging provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, arguing that they unlawfully restrict constitutional challenges to the qualification of presidential candidates.
They contend that no Act of the National Assembly can override the Constitution.
Among the reliefs sought are declarations nullifying the disputed provisions of the Electoral Act and an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election if the allegations are established.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Edwin Inegedu, SAN, and Joseph Onu Silas, expressed confidence in the case, describing it as an opportunity to further develop Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence.
The latest action revives controversies surrounding President Tinubu’s academic and identity records, issues that featured prominently during the 2023 presidential election litigation.
Tinubu has consistently denied allegations of certificate forgery, while previous legal challenges to his election were dismissed by the courts.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency, the APC nor INEC had responded to the suit.
