A Nigerian federal high court in Abuja has permitted Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to serve President Bola Tinubu with court documents in his suit challenging the president’s eligibility for the 2027 elections.
Inyang Ekwo, presiding judge, granted the application for substituted service on Wednesday after hearing an ex parte motion filed by Olanrewaju Omotayo-Ojo, Atiku’s counsel.
The judge ordered that the processes be served on Tinubu through the All-Progressives Congress (APC) within seven days.
The order followed the plaintiffs’ inability to personally serve Tinubu with the originating processes in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1888/2026.
Atiku and the ADC are the plaintiffs in the suit, while Tinubu, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the first to third defendants, respectively.
At the hearing, Omotayo-Ojo, who held the brief of Silas Onu, told the court that the application for substituted service was filed because efforts to serve Tinubu personally had been unsuccessful
Following the lawyer’s indication that the plaintiffs could affect service within seven days, Ekwo ordered that the processes be served within the period.
The judge adjourned the case until September 28 for mention.
Atiku and the ADC are challenging Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election over an NYSC discharge certificate, which they alleged was forged.
In the suit, Atiku alleged that Tinubu submitted a certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” to INEC, thereby presenting false information to the electoral body
The plaintiffs are relying on section 137(1) (j) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which deals with disqualification arising from the presentation of a forged certificate to INEC.
They are asking the court to declare that Tinubu presented a forged certificate and disqualify him and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election.
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