Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has dragged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking his disqualification from contesting the 2027 presidential election over an alleged forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Atiku personally appeared at the court registry in Abuja on Friday, August 14, 2026, where he deposed to an affidavit supporting the suit challenging Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the next presidential election.
The suit, instituted by Atiku and the ADC against Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), invokes provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2026.
At the centre of the legal action is an allegation that Tinubu submitted a forged NYSC discharge certificate to INEC in connection with the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.
According to details of the case made public on Friday, Atiku alleged that the certificate submitted to INEC bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle,” which differs from the President’s name, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the alleged submission of the document amounts to presenting a forged certificate to INEC and, consequently, whether Tinubu should be disqualified from participating in the 2027 presidential election.
The suit relies particularly on Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that a person is not qualified for election to the office of President if he has presented a forged certificate to INEC.
Atiku has also placed INEC on notice to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted in connection with the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.
According to his legal team, the request followed an earlier application for certified true copies of the relevant documents, which they said had not been made available before the suit was filed.
Speaking after taking the oath, Atiku said his decision to personally appear at the court registry was deliberate, arguing that the matter concerned the integrity of the Constitution and the office of the President.
He said he was prepared to be held accountable for the facts presented before the court and challenged Tinubu to answer the allegations through the judicial process.
The former vice president also questioned the identity attached to the disputed certificate, saying the court should determine whether “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” and “Bola Ahmed Tinubu” refer to the same person for the purpose of the document.
Beyond the NYSC certificate controversy, Atiku and the ADC are challenging aspects of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to who may challenge a candidate’s qualification before an election and the grounds upon which an election can subsequently be challenged.
The plaintiffs argue that an Act of the National Assembly cannot override an express constitutional provision, insisting that where there is a conflict between ordinary legislation and the Constitution, the Constitution must prevail.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Edwin Inegedu, SAN, and Joseph Onu Silas, expressed confidence in the case, saying the legal team had reviewed the issues and was prepared to defend the action.
The latest suit adds a fresh legal dimension to the long-running controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic and official credentials and comes less than a year before Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The case is now expected to put the President’s eligibility and the interpretation of constitutional provisions on forged certificates before the Federal High Court for judicial determination.
