It’s the 2027 season already, and politics in Abuja just got spicy. Former VP Atiku Abubakar has walked into court himself to ask a judge to kick President Bola Tinubu off the 2027 ballot. The reason? A name mix-up on an NYSC certificate. Here’s what cbinews.tv knows.

So this is what happened. On Friday, August 14, 2026, Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate and former Vice President, showed up in person at the Federal High Court registry in Abuja. He swore to an affidavit and filed a suit to disqualify President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC, and INEC from the 2027 presidential election, reports cbinews.tv.Wild, right? But this isn’t just vibes. The case hinges on the Constitution. What exactly is Atiku asking for?

According to court documents seen by cbinews.tv, the ADC and Atiku want the court to look at Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution. That section says any candidate who presents a forged certificate to INEC can be disqualified. The bone of contention is an NYSC certificate allegedly submitted to INEC. Atiku’s team says the name on it reads “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” instead of “Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.

They’re asking: was this certificate genuinely obtained? And does the different name affect Tinubu’s eligibility for both 2023 and 2027? They’re also asking INEC to bring out Form CF001 — that’s the nomination form every presidential candidate submits. Atiku says he asked INEC for certified copies but didn’t get them before filing, cbinews. tvtv gathered. But there’s a twist.

Atiku’s lawyers, led by Edwin Inegedu, SAN and Joseph Onu Silas, are also challenging parts of the Electoral Act 2026. Their argument: an Act of the National Assembly cannot override a right clearly given in the Constitution. Basically, they don’t want any law to block Nigerians from questioning a candidate’s qualification before election day. The prayer to the court is simple: if the claims are proven, disqualify Tinubu and the APC from 2027. Some background for context, via cbinews.tv:

This isn’t the first time certificates have caused drama in Nigerian politics. In 2019, there were questions around President Buhari’s WAEC certificate. In 2023, Tinubu’s Chicago State University records and NYSC certificate were also litigated at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. The court then ruled that he was qualified to contest. Now we’re back again, but this time it’s earlier — 18 months before the 2027 polls.

With INEC already preparing for voter registration updates, these kinds of pre-election suits are becoming more common. Data point: Since 1999, at least 12 major pre-election disqualification cases have reached the Federal High Court. Only 2 have succeeded in removing a candidate before voting. Atiku told the court he wants this settled “through records, not rhetoric.” He’s putting the ball in INEC’s court to produce the documents and stay neutral. The court will now decide if the case can proceed and if Atiku’s arguments have legal weight. The defendants — Tinubu, APC and INEC — are yet to file their responses.

What this means for you:

Expect 2027 politics to dominate news cycles from now. This suit could shape who even appears on the ballot. We’ll keep tracking it for you on cbinews.tv.What do you think? Should certificate issues decide who runs in 2027?

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