The 2027 presidential race has taken a dramatic legal turn as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the forthcoming presidential election over an alleged forged National Youth Service Corps certificate.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, personally appeared at the court registry in Abuja on Friday to swear to an affidavit supporting the case filed against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The legal challenge centres on an NYSC discharge certificate which Atiku and the ADC claim was submitted to INEC in connection with Tinubu’s presidential candidacy. According to the allegations contained in the affidavit, the disputed certificate carries the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” instead of the President’s known name, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the alleged discrepancy and other claims surrounding the document constitute grounds for preventing Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku’s case relies on provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, alongside relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2026. One of the constitutional provisions cited in the suit states that a person may be disqualified from contesting for president if he has presented a forged certificate to INEC.
The former vice president is also asking the court to compel INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections. Atiku said he had previously sought certified copies of the relevant electoral documents from the commission but had not obtained them before initiating the legal action.
The development adds a major legal dimension to the increasingly intense political contest ahead of the 2027 general election. Atiku and the ADC are effectively asking the judiciary to examine Tinubu’s eligibility and determine whether the allegations concerning the NYSC certificate have any constitutional consequences.
Atiku also personally explained why he chose to appear at the court registry and swear to the affidavit himself. He maintained that the matter concerns the Constitution and the integrity of the office of the President and therefore required him to personally put his name and oath behind the facts being presented before the court.
The former vice president further argued that holding the presidency should not shield anyone from constitutional scrutiny, insisting that the same standards governing the authenticity of electoral credentials should apply regardless of the office involved.
The case is not, however, a judicial finding that Tinubu submitted a forged certificate. The allegations remain claims made by Atiku and the ADC, and the court will have to examine the evidence before determining whether the disputed document is authentic and whether any legal consequence follows from the allegations.
If the plaintiffs succeed in establishing their claims, they are asking the court to issue an order preventing Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election.
The lawsuit is therefore expected to attract considerable attention as the political parties prepare for another highly contested presidential race. It also places INEC’s custody and handling of presidential nomination documents under renewed scrutiny.
For now, the dispute has moved into the courtroom, where the authenticity of the disputed NYSC certificate, the contents of Tinubu’s electoral documents and the constitutional implications of the allegations will become central issues.
The outcome could have significant consequences for the political landscape ahead of 2027, but until the court reaches a decision, the allegations against President Tinubu remain unproven.
