The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has objected to the prayer by Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress to amend the suit seeking the disqualification of President Bola Tinubu and All Progressives Congress, APC, from the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, and his party, filed the suit in the Federal High Court in Abuja, questioning President Tinubu’s National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, discharge certificate submitted to INEC by APC.
The plaintiffs Atiku and ADC, in the suit, urged Justice Inyang Ekwo to disqualify President Tinubu and APC from contesting in the 2027 presidential election over alleged submission of forged National Youth Service Corps, NYSC discharge certificate to INEC.
The plaintiffs, who sued the president and APC as 1st and 2nd defendants, also joined INEC as 3rd defendant in the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1888/2026.
They prayed the court to compel INEC to remove Tinubu and APC’s names from the list of candidates and parties for the presidential poll.
But INEC, in its preliminary objection filed on Sept. 7 by its lawyer, Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN, challenged the competence of the suit on the grounds of statute-bar, want of locus standi, absence of a reasonable cause of action and abuse of court process.
The commission also argued that the plaintiffs failed to comply with the mandatory written deposition requirement under Paragraph 7(1) provision of the Federal High Court Pre-Election Practice Directions (Amendment) 2026.
The electoral umpire equally challenged the impropriety of Reliefs 2 and 3 in Atiku and ADC’s originating summons, urging the court to dismiss the suit.
Also, President Tinubu and APC, in their joint counter affidavit filed on September 9, prayed the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety for being incompetent and that the plaintiffs lacked the legal right to institute the case.
They denied submitting any forged certificate to INEC either for the 2023 or 2027 presidential elections.
The duo, through the APC Director of Legal Services, Mr Sanusi Samaila, averred that they did not submit any Form CF001 to INEC for 2023 or 2027 poll as claimed by the plaintiffs.
They stated that the NYSC has never denied issuing National Youth service Corps, NYSC, discharge certificate to the 1st defendant at the end of his service.
Alleged forged NYSC certificate: INEC rejects Atiku’s move to amend suit against Tinubu