Tinubu Faces Court Challenge Over Alleged Forged NYSC Certificate

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has initiated legal proceedings to disqualify President Bola Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election, alleging the submission of a forged National Youth Service Corps certificate. The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, also names the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission as defendants.

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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.

The core of the legal challenge rests on Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that a person presenting a forged certificate to INEC is unqualified for election as President. Abubakar's affidavit contends that the NYSC discharge certificate allegedly submitted by Tinubu bears the name "Tinubu Bola Adekunle," differing from the President's name, "Bola Ahmed Tinubu." The plaintiffs further assert that Tinubu did not obtain this certificate and submitted it in connection with his presidential candidacy.

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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.

Beyond the court filing, a legal counsel and chieftain of Abubakar's African Democratic Congress (ADC) has submitted a petition to the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, regarding the alleged forged certificate. Abubakar himself appeared at the Federal High Court registry to depose to an affidavit, emphasizing the gravity of the case. "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 stated, adding that the matter should be decided by evidence before the judiciary, not social media exchanges.

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

Abubakar is also seeking a court order to compel INEC to produce Tinubu's Form CF001 submitted for both the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections. He indicated that previous requests for Certified True Copies of relevant documents from INEC had not been met before initiating this legal action. The ADC candidate questioned the legitimacy of the names appearing on the disputed certificate.

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