Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has commenced legal action against President Bola Tinubu, seeking his disqualification from the 2027 presidential election over allegations surrounding an NYSC discharge certificate.
Atiku personally appeared at the Federal High Court registry in Abuja on Friday to depose to an affidavit supporting the suit, which also names the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission as defendants.
Constitutional Eligibility at the Heart of the Case
The lawsuit relies on provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, including Section 137(1)(j), which deals with the presentation of forged certificates to INEC, alongside provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to determine whether Tinubu is constitutionally eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election if the allegations concerning the disputed NYSC certificate are established.
Disputed Name on NYSC Certificate
According to Atiku’s affidavit, the NYSC discharge certificate allegedly submitted to INEC bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, rather than the President’s name, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The plaintiffs further allege that Tinubu did not obtain the certificate and that the document was submitted as part of the documentation connected to his 2027 presidential candidacy.
Atiku is also asking the court to compel INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for both the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.
Atiku Says Evidence Should Decide the Dispute
Atiku said he had previously sought certified true copies of the relevant electoral documents from INEC but had not received them before filing the case.
Explaining his decision to personally visit the court registry, the former vice president said the matter was too significant to be left to political exchanges.
He maintained that the dispute should be resolved through documentary evidence and judicial scrutiny rather than arguments on social media.
ADC Seeks Possible Disqualification
Among the reliefs being sought by Atiku and the ADC is an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election if the allegations are proven.
Atiku argued that the authenticity of certificates submitted by presidential candidates should be subjected to the same constitutional standards applicable to other Nigerians.
His legal representatives, Edwin Inegedu, SAN, and Joseph Onu Silas, expressed confidence in the case.
APC Dismisses Suit as Futile
The APC rejected the lawsuit, describing it as an attempt by Atiku to avoid the political contest ahead of the 2027 election.
National Secretary of the party, Ajibola Basiru, argued that Tinubu remains qualified to contest and said the issue had already been settled by the Supreme Court.
Basiru urged Atiku to concentrate on mobilising for the election rather than pursuing what the party characterized as a shortcut to power.
Separate EU Petition Filed in Brussels
The legal challenge in Nigeria was accompanied by a separate political and diplomatic move in Europe.
Kalu Agu, a lawyer and ADC chieftain, submitted a petition to the European Commission in Brussels alleging that Tinubu presented false credentials to INEC in connection with the 2027 election.
Agu also alleged that Tinubu failed to disclose the primary and secondary schools he attended in documents submitted to the electoral commission. He argued that the alleged certificate issues violate Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution.
Presidency Rejects European Move
The President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, dismissed the European petition as an opposition distraction.
Bwala accused the opposition of pursuing what he described as a “wild goose chase” abroad rather than explaining what it would do differently from the Tinubu administration if elected.
The competing positions now set the stage for a potentially contentious legal battle over presidential eligibility, electoral records and the authenticity of documents submitted to INEC ahead of the 2027 election.
