Atiku Takes Legal Shot At Tinubu Over Forged NYSC Certificate, Targets 2027 Election Win

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the ADC, filed a lawsuit alongside the party, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) joined as defendants.

Atiku also personally visited the court registry to swear an affidavit supporting the case, emphasizing that the matter concerns the constitutional requirements for holding the office of president.

The plaintiffs are challenging Tinubu’s eligibility based on provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act, 2026.
The core of their argument revolves around section 137(1)(j) of the constitution, which states that a person is disqualified from running for president if they have submitted a forged certificate to INEC.

According to the affidavit, the NYSC certificate submitted by Tinubu shows the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle,” which the plaintiffs claim is different from Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president’s actual name.
Atiku and the ADC are requesting the court to decide whether Tinubu and the APC should be disqualified from the 2027 presidential election if the allegations are proven true.

They are also demanding that INEC produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for the 2023 and 2027 elections.
The plaintiffs mentioned that Atiku had earlier requested certified true copies of the relevant documents but had not received them before preparing the suit.

After swearing the affidavit, Atiku stated that he personally appeared at the registry because the case involves the core of the constitution and the integrity of the presidential office.

“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,” Atiku said.

“I have therefore put my name, my signature and my oath behind the facts we are presenting to the court. Now it is President Tinubu’s turn to answer them.”

The suit also contests provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, which the plaintiffs believe restrict the ability to challenge a candidate’s qualification at the pre-election stage.

They argue that an act of the national assembly cannot override clear constitutional provisions and are asking the court to determine whether the statutory restrictions hinder their reliance on section 137(1)(j).

Consequently, the plaintiffs seek an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election based on the allegations outlined in the suit.

Atiku emphasized that the case should be settled in court rather than through political debates or public speculation.

“We are not asking Nigerians to decide this matter on social media, and we are not asking INEC to become a court,” he said.

“We are asking the institution holding the records to produce them and the judiciary to examine the evidence and pronounce on it.”

Counsel for the plaintiffs, Edwin Inegedu, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Joseph Onu Silas expressed confidence in their case after reviewing the relevant constitutional and electoral laws.

Silas added that the suit also offers an opportunity for the courts to further clarify Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence.

“We are confident that justice will prevail. This case presents an important opportunity to further develop Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence,” he stated.