Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to disqualify President Bola Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over an alleged forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), personally visited the court registry on Friday to depose to an affidavit in support of the suit filed against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The suit relies on provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, including Section 137(1)(j), as well as relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Section 137(1)(j) provides that a person is not qualified for election as president if they have presented a forged certificate to INEC.
Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to determine whether Tinubu is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election in light of allegations that a disputed NYSC discharge certificate was submitted to INEC in connection with his presidential candidacy.
According to Atiku’s affidavit, the certificate in question bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, rather than the President’s name, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
The plaintiffs allege that the certificate was not obtained by Tinubu and was subsequently submitted in connection with the 2027 presidential election.
The allegations have not been established by the court, and Tinubu and the other defendants will have an opportunity to respond to the claims.
Atiku is also asking the court to compel INEC to produce certified copies of Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.
The former vice-president said he had previously requested certified copies of the relevant electoral documents from the commission but had not received them before instituting the action.
Explaining his decision to appear personally at the court registry, Atiku said the case concerned fundamental constitutional questions and should be determined through evidence rather than political arguments.
He said the dispute was ultimately about whether the constitutional requirements for presidential candidates were being applied equally.
The plaintiffs are also challenging provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 which they contend limit the ability of candidates and political parties to contest the eligibility of presidential candidates at the pre-election stage.
They argue that statutory provisions cannot override constitutional requirements and maintain that the Constitution should prevail where there is a conflict between it and an Act of the National Assembly.
Atiku said the court should determine whether the disputed legislation could prevent the plaintiffs from relying on Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution.
Among the reliefs sought is an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election if the allegations concerning the certificate are proved.
Atiku also urged INEC to produce the relevant electoral records, arguing that the commission’s custody of the documents makes them central to resolving the dispute.
He said Nigerians should be able to establish the eligibility of presidential candidates before casting their votes in 2027.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Edwin Inegedu, SAN, and Joseph Onu Silas, expressed confidence in the case.
Silas said the legal team had reviewed the applicable laws and presented its arguments, adding that it was prepared to respond to the defendants’ position after they had been served with the suit.
The legal challenge introduces another potentially significant dispute into preparations for the 2027 presidential election, placing Tinubu’s eligibility, the authenticity of the disputed NYSC document and INEC’s custody of nomination records before the judiciary.
The court will ultimately determine whether the claims have sufficient legal and evidential basis and what consequences, if any, should follow from its findings.
