By Rapheal
• Seeks disqualification over NYSC certificate
• Accuses President of flouting LG autonomy judgment
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, opened two fronts in his battle against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, pursuing a court action to disqualify the President over a disputed National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate and accusing his administration of failing to enforce the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to bar Tinubu from seeking re-election over allegations surrounding an NYSC discharge certificate, while separately pledging to implement direct payment of federal allocations to the 774 local governments if elected President.
The legal offensive, however, suffered an early procedural setback as difficulties in personally serving Tinubu with the originating processes stalled proceedings.
Atiku’s counsel, Joseph Onu Silas, told Justice Inyang Ekwo that the plaintiffs had been unable to personally serve Tinubu with the Originating Summons and sought permission to effect service through other means.
Omosanya Popoola, who appeared for Tinubu, offered to accept the processes on the President’s behalf, but Atiku’s counsel declined, insisting that Popoola should first provide a written undertaking confirming that he had Tinubu’s authority to receive them.
An attempt by Dr. Alex Izinyon to persuade the court to direct service through Tinubu’s counsel failed to resolve the impasse.
Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned the matter to September 28 for further mention and to enable the plaintiffs regularise service.
Atiku and the ADC are challenging Tinubu’s eligibility for the 2027 election over an NYSC discharge certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle,” rather than “Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are defendants in the suit.
Atiku alleges that the certificate does not belong to Tinubu and wants the court to determine whether its alleged presentation to INEC affects the President’s constitutional qualification to contest the election.
The allegation has not been judicially established.
The controversy over the NYSC document predates the current action.
During proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court in June 2023, Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) tendered certified copies of documents relating to Tinubu, including an NYSC discharge certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle.”
The documents were tendered through subpoenaed witness Mike Enahoro-Ebah alongside Tinubu’s Chicago State University records, INEC nomination documents and a certificate of service from Mobil Nigeria Plc.
Counsel representing INEC, Tinubu and the APC objected to their admissibility, although the tribunal admitted them in evidence.
Atiku and the ADC are relying, among others, on Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for disqualification from election as President where a person has presented a forged certificate to INEC.
They are also relying on Sections 139(1)(a)(i) and 285(14)(c) of the Constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026
The plaintiffs are asking INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted in connection with the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.
