Tinubu Dragged to Court, Faces Disqualification From 2027 Presidential Election Over Alleged Forged NYSC Certificate

• Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify President Bola Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election, alleging that a forged NYSC certificate was submitted to INEC.

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dragged President Bola Tinubu before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking his disqualification from the 2027 presidential election over an alleged forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.

The legal action, filed against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), came as another ADC chieftain, Kalu Agu, submitted a separate petition against the President to the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.

Atiku personally appeared at the Federal High Court registry in Abuja on Friday to depose to an affidavit in support of the suit.

The case relies on relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, including Section 137(1)(j), which provides that a person is not qualified to be elected President if he has presented a forged certificate to INEC.

Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to determine whether Tinubu should be disqualified from the 2027 presidential election over the allegation that a forged NYSC discharge certificate was submitted in connection with his presidential candidacy.

According to Atiku’s affidavit, the disputed certificate allegedly bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, rather than the President’s name, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The plaintiffs further alleged that Tinubu did not obtain the certificate and that the document was submitted to INEC in connection with the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku is also asking the court to compel INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.

The former vice president said he had previously requested certified true copies of the relevant documents from INEC but had not received them before commencing the legal action.

Explaining why he personally visited the court registry, Atiku said the matter was too important to be treated casually.

“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.”

He added that the matter should be resolved through evidence and judicial proceedings rather than political arguments or social media exchanges.

Atiku said the opposition was not asking Nigerians to determine the matter on social media or INEC to act as a court, but was seeking access to official records and asking the judiciary to examine the evidence.

He also questioned whether the name appearing on the disputed certificate could legitimately be attributed to Tinubu.

Among the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs is an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election if the allegations are established.

Atiku argued that the authenticity of certificates should be subjected to the same standard regardless of the person involved.

“The presidency is not an immunity certificate against constitutional scrutiny,” he said.

He also called on INEC to demonstrate its neutrality by producing the relevant electoral records.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Edwin Inegedu, SAN, and Joseph Onu Silas, expressed confidence in the case.

APC Dismisses Atiku’s Suit

Reacting to the development, the APC dismissed the suit as an exercise in futility and challenged Atiku to prepare for the 2027 election.

The party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said Tinubu was qualified to contest the election and argued that the issue had already been settled by the Supreme Court.

Basiru accused Atiku of seeking a shortcut to power instead of preparing for the election.

ADC Chieftain Petitions European Commission

Meanwhile, Kalu Agu submitted a petition to the European Commission in Brussels, asking the European Union to intervene over what he described as an alleged threat to Nigeria’s constitutional order.

In a video shared on X by Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, Agu was seen submitting the petition on Friday.

Agu alleged that Tinubu presented false academic credentials to INEC as part of the requirements for the 2027 presidential election. He also alleged that the President failed to disclose the primary and secondary schools he attended in documents submitted to the electoral commission.

He argued that the alleged submission of forged certificates contravened Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution.

However, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, dismissed the European petition as an opposition distraction.

Bwala said the opposition was on a “wild goose chase” in Europe and challenged them to focus instead on explaining what they would do differently from the current administration.

The allegations contained in the court action and European petition remain matters for the relevant institutions and courts to determine.