Dikkasmedia
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed 28 September 2026 for further proceedings in a suit filed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar challenging President Bola Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, filed the case together with the ADC. President Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission are listed as defendants.
At the centre of the case is an allegation concerning a National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate submitted to INEC.
In his court filing, Atiku alleged that a certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” was submitted as part of Tinubu’s documentation and argued that it was not legitimately issued to President Tinubu.
Atiku’s legal team has asked the court to consider whether the alleged submission of false information could affect Tinubu’s constitutional eligibility to contest the presidential election.
The case is based on provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act 2026 relating to qualification and eligibility for elective office.
Tinubu and the APC have disputed the allegations and the legal claims against the President.
The court has scheduled the matter for further proceedings on 28 September, meaning the case remains ongoing and no final judicial determination has been made on the allegations.
The development comes at a politically significant time, following INEC’s publication of the final list of presidential candidates for the 2027 election.
The court proceedings could therefore become an important legal issue in the wider political contest if the case progresses to substantive determination.
For now, the allegations contained in Atiku’s filing remain claims before the court rather than established findings against the President.
