Bolatito Mercy
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned a suit filed by African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, seeking the disqualification of President Bola Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over allegations surrounding his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
During the court proceedings, counsel to Atiku, Joseph Onu, informed the court that he had been unable to personally serve President Tinubu with the originating summons. He requested permission to either serve the President directly or through substituted service.
However, attempts by President Tinubu’s legal team to accept the court documents on his behalf were rejected by Atiku’s counsel, who insisted that proper service must be carried out either personally or through an approved substituted method.
Atiku, a former Vice President, filed the case on Friday, questioning President Tinubu’s eligibility to seek another term in office. The plaintiffs argued that the NYSC certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contains a different name from the President’s official name.
According to the suit, the certificate bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, while the President is officially known as “Bola Ahmed Tinubu”. The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the alleged name discrepancy affects Tinubu’s constitutional qualification to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter until September 28 for further mention.
Tinubu, who contested under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated Atiku in the 2023 presidential election. Both politicians are expected to be major contenders as preparations for the 2027 presidential race intensify.
