The Nigerian judiciary has come under fresh international attention after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar took President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking the court to disqualify him from contesting the 2027 presidential election over an alleged forged National Youth Service Corps certificate.
Atiku, who is now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, filed the case against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Atiku also personally went to the Federal High Court registry in Abuja on Friday to swear to an affidavit supporting the case. His legal action is challenging Tinubu’s eligibility to seek another term as president in 2027.
At the centre of the case is an NYSC discharge certificate which Atiku alleges was submitted to INEC by Tinubu.
According to Atiku’s court filing, the certificate carries the name Tinubu Bola Adekunle instead of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to examine the circumstances surrounding the certificate and determine whether it should prevent Tinubu from contesting the 2027 election.
The case is based in part on Section 137 of Nigeria’s Constitution. That provision deals with circumstances that can make a person ineligible to contest for president and includes presenting a forged certificate to INEC.
Atiku’s legal team wants the court to determine whether the alleged certificate issue falls under that constitutional provision and whether Tinubu and the APC should therefore be barred from the 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiffs have also raised questions about documents submitted to INEC in connection with Tinubu’s presidential candidacy. They are seeking access to relevant electoral records as they build their case.
The development has created a major political and legal battle ahead of the 2027 election. Atiku and Tinubu were leading rivals in the 2023 presidential election, which Tinubu won. Atiku has now returned to the courts with a fresh challenge that could put Tinubu’s eligibility at the centre of the next presidential contest.
However, the allegation should not be treated as a court proven fact at this stage.
The Federal High Court has not ruled that Tinubu forged an NYSC certificate. Atiku is asking the court to investigate and determine the legal effect of the allegations. Tinubu’s position and the final decision of the court will be important in determining how the case develops.
If the court eventually accepts the allegations and finds that the constitutional requirements for disqualification have been met, the decision could have serious consequences for the 2027 presidential race.
For now, the case has moved the long running controversy surrounding Tinubu’s credentials from political debate into a fresh judicial battle.
The attention will now turn to the Federal High Court in Abuja as the parties present their arguments and the court considers whether the allegations raised by Atiku provide a legal basis for preventing Tinubu from seeking another term in office.
