BREAKING: Court Orders Atiku to Serve Tinubu Through APC in 2027 Eligibility Suit

• The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Atiku Abubakar permission to serve President Bola Tinubu with court documents through the APC in a suit challenging Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, permission to serve President Bola Tinubu with court documents through the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the application on Wednesday after hearing an ex parte motion filed by Atiku’s counsel, Olanrewaju Omotayo-Ojo, seeking an order for substituted service.

The application became necessary after efforts to personally serve Tinubu with the originating summons and other court processes were unsuccessful. The court subsequently directed that the documents be served on the President through the APC within seven days.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1888/2026, was filed by Atiku and the ADC against Tinubu, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), listed as the first, second and third defendants respectively.

Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to disqualify Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election. Their case centres on an allegation that a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate purportedly submitted to INEC was forged.

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to direct INEC to remove Tinubu and the APC from the list of candidates and political parties for the 2027 presidential election.

Following an undertaking by Atiku’s counsel that the documents would be served within seven days, Justice Ekwo granted the application and adjourned the matter until September 28, 2026, for mention.

The defendants have, however, opposed the suit and asked the court to dismiss it.

In a joint counter-affidavit filed on September 9, Tinubu and the APC denied submitting any forged certificate to INEC for either the 2023 or 2027 presidential elections. They also argued that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the action and challenged the competence of the suit.

The President and the APC further maintained that the NYSC had not denied issuing a discharge certificate to Tinubu. Their legal team argued that an allegation of forgery must meet the applicable evidentiary requirements and contended that the plaintiffs had not produced evidence from the issuing institution disclaiming the certificate.

INEC has also filed a preliminary objection challenging the suit. The electoral commission raised issues including alleged statute-bar, lack of locus standi, absence of a reasonable cause of action and alleged non-compliance with the Federal High Court’s pre-election practice directions.

For now, the court has only ruled on the method of service of the court processes. The substantive allegations concerning the certificate and Tinubu’s eligibility have not been determined by the court.