Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify President Bola Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over an alleged forged National Youth Service Corps certificate.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, personally appeared at the court registry Friday to swear to an affidavit supporting the suit.
He is also asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for the 2023 and 2027 elections.
At the centre of the case is an NYSC discharge certificate which Atiku alleges was submitted to INEC in Tinubu’s name but bears “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” instead of “Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The plaintiffs also allege that the certificate was not obtained by Tinubu and that the same document was submitted for the 2027 election.
The claims have not been established by a court.
Atiku said his personal appearance was deliberate.
“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 said.
“Now it is President Tinubu’s turn to answer them.”
He said the matter should be settled through evidence rather than political arguments or social media exchanges.
“We are not asking Nigerians to decide this matter on social media,” Atiku said.
“We are asking the institution holding the records to produce them and the judiciary to examine the evidence and pronounce on it.”
He added: “If ‘Tinubu Bola Adekunle’ and ‘Bola Ahmed Tinubu’ are one and the same person for the purpose of that certificate, let the evidence establish it.”
The suit relies on Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution, which provides that a person is not qualified to contest for president if they have presented a forged certificate to INEC.
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