ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s legal challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s eligibility to contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election has been delayed after a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the case could not proceed until the president is properly served with court documents.
The case was adjourned after Atiku’s legal team told the court that efforts to personally serve Tinubu with the originating summons had not been successful. His lawyers asked the court to approve another method of service so the case could move forward.
Tinubu’s lawyer offered to receive the documents on the president’s behalf, but Atiku’s legal team requested written confirmation that he was formally authorized to accept service. The disagreement prevented the court from moving to the substance of the case.
The adjournment does not amount to a ruling on Tinubu’s eligibility to seek another term. The court has not yet considered the evidence behind Atiku’s allegations or decided whether the president is constitutionally qualified to contest the 2027 election.
Atiku and the African Democratic Congress are challenging Tinubu over questions surrounding a National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission. The plaintiffs allege that the name on the document differs from the name by which the president is widely known.
The case asks the court to determine whether the alleged discrepancy could amount to presenting a forged certificate under Nigeria’s Constitution. The allegation has not been proven in court, and Tinubu has not been convicted of any offense connected with the document.
Atiku has argued that the authenticity of the certificate and the identity attached to it should be tested through evidence. Tinubu’s full legal response to the claim has not yet been considered because the case remains tied up in procedural issues.
The judge also cautioned lawyers against turning the dispute into a political battle outside the courtroom. He warned that the case should be argued through legal filings and evidence rather than through public statements or social media commentary.
The latest dispute adds another chapter to the long political rivalry between Atiku and Tinubu. After Tinubu won Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, Atiku challenged both the result and aspects of Tinubu’s qualification. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld Tinubu’s victory later that year.
With political activity already building ahead of the 2027 election, the case is likely to draw close attention from both supporters and critics of the president. For now, however, the central issue remains procedural: whether Tinubu can be properly served so the court can move on to the more politically significant question of his eligibility.
