Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that President Bola Tinubu be served, within seven days, with a lawsuit seeking to disqualify him from the 2027 presidential election over allegations of submitting a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
In a recent ruling, Justice Ekwo approved the substituted service of the legal processes through Tinubu’s political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), after the plaintiffs encountered difficulties in effecting personal service on the President.
The suit was filed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) joined as the second plaintiff. President Tinubu, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are listed as the first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
At the core of the lawsuit is a 25-paragraph affidavit personally deposed to by Atiku, alleging that Tinubu submitted a bogus NYSC discharge certificate to INEC to support his qualification for the presidency. Atiku drew the court’s attention to the fact that the certificate in question bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle,” arguing that it clearly belongs to another individual.
“I know that the NYSC certificate is clearly not one obtained by the 1st defendant, as it belongs to one Adekunle,” Atiku stated, attaching the document to the court as Exhibit P2. He further alleged that Tinubu has been parading this same certificate since his 1999 Lagos State governorship campaign.
Based on these claims, the plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that Tinubu breached Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by presenting a forged certificate. Consequently, they are praying the court for an order disqualifying both Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election.
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However, the President’s legal team is already mounting a robust defense. Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), former Attorney General of the Federation Akin Olujinmi, SAN, and former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Wole Olanipekun, SAN, have separately filed processes on behalf of Tinubu.
The distinguished lawyers are challenging the fundamental competence of the suit and Atiku’s locus standi (legal right) to query the credentials Tinubu submitted to INEC, citing specific provisions of Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2026.
As the seven-day window for service ticks down, the stage is set for a fierce and highly scrutinized legal battle. This case not only revives a long-standing political controversy but also places the judiciary at the center of a high-stakes debate over electoral integrity, constitutional interpretation, and the rules of political engagement in Nigeria.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
