Atiku Sues Tinubu, Seeks Disqualification Over Alleged NYSC Certificate Forgery
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has instituted a suit against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over an alleged forgery of his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, seeking his disqualification from the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku and the ADC filed the suit on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were joined as defendants.
Atiku also personally appeared at the court registry to depose to an affidavit in support of the suit, saying the case raises fundamental constitutional questions concerning eligibility for the office of president.
The plaintiffs are challenging Tinubu’s eligibility under the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act, 2026.
Central to their case is Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution, which provides that a person is not qualified for election as president if they have presented a forged certificate to INEC.
According to the affidavit filed by the plaintiffs, the NYSC certificate submitted to INEC bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, which they contend differs from President Tinubu’s name, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to determine whether Tinubu and the APC should be disqualified from participating in the 2027 presidential election if the allegations are established.
They are also seeking an order compelling INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.
The plaintiffs said they had previously applied for certified true copies of the relevant documents but had not received a response from INEC at the time the suit was prepared.
Speaking after deposing to the affidavit, Atiku said he personally appeared at the court registry because of what he described as the constitutional significance of the case.
“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,” Atiku said.
“I have therefore 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.”
The suit also challenges provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, which the plaintiffs argue could restrict the ability of litigants to challenge a candidate’s qualification before an election.
They contend that legislation enacted by the National Assembly cannot override an express constitutional provision and are asking the court to determine whether the statutory restrictions can prevent them from relying on Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution.
Consequently, the plaintiffs are seeking an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election on the grounds outlined in the suit.
Atiku said the matter should be determined through the judicial process rather than political arguments or public speculation.
“We are not asking Nigerians to decide this matter on social media, and we are not asking INEC to become a court,” he said.
“We are asking the institution holding the records to produce them and the judiciary to examine the evidence and pronounce on it.”
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Edwin Inegedu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Joseph Onu Silas, said they were confident in the case after reviewing the relevant constitutional and electoral provisions.
Silas said the suit would also provide an opportunity for the judiciary to further clarify Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence.
“We are confident that justice will prevail. This case presents an important opportunity to further develop Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence,” he said.
The case is expected to test the interpretation of constitutional qualification requirements and the legal framework governing pre-election challenges ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
