The Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA) has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Kano seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over allegations of certificate forgery.
According to court documents, the suit, marked FHC/K/CS/312/2026, names President Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Chicago State University as defendants.
The plaintiff alleged that Tinubu submitted forged academic certificates from Chicago State University and a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to INEC during the 2023 general election.
CFRPA also claimed that Tinubu never attended Government College Lagos as stated in his records, arguing that the school was established in 1974, four years after he allegedly graduated. The group further maintained that the president does not possess a valid secondary school certificate, which it described as the minimum constitutional requirement for contesting the presidency.
The organisation accused INEC of failing to act on its June 19, 2026 petition requesting clarification on Tinubu’s eligibility.
In its court filings, the plaintiff cited a 2023 U.S. court ruling in In Re: Application of Atiku Abubakar (No. 23 CV 05099), which compelled Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records. It alleged that the documents revealed inconsistencies, including what it described as a forged University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education.
Among its requests, the group is asking the court to declare Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate forged, order INEC to disqualify him from the 2027 presidential election, direct Chicago State University to remove his name from its records, and permanently restrain INEC from accepting or publishing his name as a presidential candidate.
The plaintiff also submitted witness statements, affidavits, and letters addressed to the NYSC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, seeking official disclaimers on the alleged fake NYSC certificate.
President Tinubu and the other defendants have yet to formally respond to the allegations in court.
