2027: Court Gives Atiku Seven Days to Serve Tinubu Through APC in Eligibility Suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar seven days to serve President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with a suit challenging his eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the order after granting an application for substituted service, allowing Atiku and the ADC to serve the President through his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1888/2026, was instituted by Atiku and the ADC against Tinubu, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Atiku is asking the court to determine whether Tinubu is qualified to participate in the 2027 presidential election based on allegations concerning an NYSC discharge certificate allegedly submitted to INEC.

According to the plaintiffs, the disputed certificate bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, which they contend raises questions about its authenticity and its connection with the President. Atiku’s case also alleges that the document was presented to INEC as genuine and raises questions about information contained in the electoral documents submitted by Tinubu.

The allegations remain claims before the court and have not been established by a final judgment.

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The plaintiffs are relying on provisions of the 1999 Constitution relating to the presentation of forged certificates to INEC. They are seeking, among other reliefs, orders that would prevent Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election on the basis of the allegations contained in the suit.

The latest ruling followed a procedural dispute over how the President should be served with the court processes.

When the matter came up earlier in September, Atiku’s lawyers told the court that they had been unable to personally serve Tinubu. Although counsel representing Tinubu indicated that he was prepared to accept service on behalf of his client, the plaintiffs declined, saying they wanted to avoid possible technical objections concerning the validity of service at a later stage.

The court subsequently allowed the issue to be addressed through substituted service.

Justice Ekwo had earlier adjourned proceedings to September 28 following the service dispute. The judge also warned lawyers involved in the case against discussing the matter in the traditional or social media, directing that arguments concerning the case should be presented in court.

Meanwhile, Tinubu and the APC have rejected the allegations and asked the Federal High Court to dismiss the suit.

In their response, the President and the APC denied that Tinubu submitted a forged certificate to INEC for either the 2023 or 2027 presidential elections. They also questioned the legal foundation of Atiku and the ADC’s action and raised preliminary objections to the case.

The defendants have argued that the disputed certificate has not been established as forged and that the NYSC has not disowned the document at the centre of the controversy.

They have therefore urged the court to dismiss the suit rather than proceed to the substantive claims.

INEC has also challenged Atiku’s case and opposed aspects of the plaintiffs’ application to amend their suit. The electoral commission has raised procedural and legal objections, including arguments concerning the competence of the action and the plaintiffs’ standing.

The case has consequently developed into a series of preliminary procedural and legal disputes even before the court determines the central allegations surrounding the disputed NYSC certificate.

Atiku and the ADC maintain that the alleged certificate and information submitted to INEC raise constitutional questions concerning Tinubu’s eligibility for the 2027 presidential election.

Tinubu and the APC, however, deny the allegations and are seeking the dismissal of the case, while INEC has also opposed the action.

The Federal High Court’s latest decision is limited to the method and timeframe for serving Tinubu with the court processes.

It does not constitute a ruling that Tinubu is ineligible to contest the 2027 election, nor does it establish that the disputed NYSC certificate is forged.

The substantive claims, alongside the objections raised by Tinubu, the APC and INEC, remain before the court for determination.

2027: Court Gives Atiku Seven Days to Serve Tinubu Through APC in Eligibility Suit

“Clash of Egos”: Ayo Fayose Downplays Public Feud Between Wike and APC Governors

On Channels Television, the former Ekiti governor says tensions over the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ will not hurt President Tinubu’s 2027 prospects.

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has weighed in on the sharp exchange between Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, characterizing the disagreement as a battle of individual egos rather than a genuine threat to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.

Speaking Tuesday night during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Fayose noted that public friction often surfaces when assertive leaders navigate complex multi-party arrangements.

The spat erupted after Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, speaking for the APC Governors’ Forum, announced that party executives would reject any outside alliance or coalition capable of diluting the party’s strength or challenging its candidates in upcoming elections.

Wike responded swiftly during a televised broadcast, describing the governors as politically lazy and clarifying that his “Rainbow Coalition” was created specifically to mobilize cross-party votes for the president rather than fight local battles on behalf of state governors.

Addressing the controversy, Fayose remarked that everyday Nigerians understand Wike’s outspoken personality just as they understand the institutional posture of the Governors’ Forum.

He insisted that the rhetorical crossfire has no direct bearing on the president’s electoral fortunes, observing that political leaders across the spectrum possess strong personal pride that occasionally spills into public view. Fayose maintained that practical grassroots voter mobilization will ultimately outweigh public posturing as the 2027 race draws nearer.

“Clash of Egos”: Ayo Fayose Downplays Public Feud Between Wike and APC Governors

Rainbow Coalition: Wike Fires Back at Uzodimma, APC Governors

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has launched a fresh verbal attack on Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, following the APC governors’ rejection of his Rainbow Coalition.

The latest political exchange has deepened the disagreement over the shape of the 2027 political contest, with Wike insisting that his coalition is focused on mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu while allowing other political parties to field candidates in governorship and legislative elections.

The APC governors, however, have maintained that they would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening the party or adversely affecting its candidates.

Wike’s criticism became particularly sharp when he addressed Uzodimma’s position on the coalition.

The FCT Minister said the Imo governor was “lucky” that he was not a member of the APC, adding that he would not accept what he described as certain conduct within the ruling party.

Wike also rejected any suggestion that Uzodimma could determine whether he would join the APC, saying that if he ever decided to join the party, the Imo governor would not be the person to decide the matter.

The remarks followed a declaration by the APC Governors Forum that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement that could undermine President Tinubu’s re-election, weaken the APC or adversely affect any of the party’s candidates.

Uzodimma made the position known after a meeting of APC governors in Abuja.

Wike has drawn a clear distinction between his support for Tinubu and support for APC candidates in other elections.

He said he had never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party would withdraw candidates from governorship, National Assembly or State House of Assembly elections in 2027.

His position is that members of the Rainbow Coalition can support Tinubu for the presidency while retaining their political affiliations and supporting candidates of their choice in other contests.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President,” Wike said.

He argued that Tinubu would not be contesting governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives or State Assembly elections, suggesting that support for the President should not automatically be interpreted as support for every APC candidate.

The APC governors have taken a different position.

Through the Progressive Governors Forum, they said they remained committed to the APC and its candidates and would not endorse political arrangements that could create competing interests or weaken the party’s electoral structure.

The governors’ position has placed Wike’s Rainbow Coalition at the centre of an emerging disagreement over how support for Tinubu should operate across party lines in the 2027 elections.

Wike also questioned Uzodimma’s argument by referring to the voting pattern in Imo State during the 2023 presidential election.

He argued that voters could support a presidential candidate while voting for candidates from another party in legislative contests.

Wike has used the 2023 voting pattern to reinforce his argument that political support does not necessarily have to follow a single party line across all electoral contests.

The exchange between Wike and Uzodimma adds another layer to the political debate surrounding the 2027 elections.

While the APC governors are emphasising party structure and support for APC candidates, Wike is advocating a cross-party arrangement centred specifically on Tinubu’s presidential bid.

The disagreement has therefore moved beyond a simple dispute over party membership and into a broader argument about whether politicians from different parties can jointly support a presidential candidate while maintaining separate positions in other elections.

For now, Wike says he remains in the PDP and has not promised to join the APC, while continuing to campaign for Tinubu’s re-election through the Rainbow Coalition.

Rainbow Coalition: Wike Fires Back at Uzodimma, APC Governors