Court asked to disqualify Tinubu from 2027 election over alleged certificate forgery
The Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA) has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Kano seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election over allegations of certificate forgery.
According to court documents sighted by Daily Trust, the plaintiff alleged that Tinubu submitted forged academic credentials from Chicago State University and a falsified National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 elections.
The suit, marked FHC/K/CS/312/2026, lists Tinubu, INEC, and Chicago State University as defendants.
In its statement of claim, the group argued that Tinubu did not attend Government College Lagos as claimed, noting that the institution was established in 1974—four years after he was said to have graduated. It further contended that the president does not possess a valid secondary school certificate, which it said is the minimum constitutional requirement for eligibility to contest the presidency.
The plaintiff also accused INEC of failing to act on a petition it submitted on June 19, 2026, seeking clarification on Tinubu’s qualifications.
CFRPA referenced a 2023 United States court ruling in In Re: Application of Atiku Abubakar (No. 23 CV 05099), which compelled Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records. It claimed that the documents revealed inconsistencies and alleged false entries, including what it described as a forged University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education.
Among the reliefs sought, the plaintiff is asking the court to declare Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate as forged, direct INEC to disqualify him from the 2027 presidential election, and order the university to strike his name from its records. It is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from listing Tinubu as a candidate.
The group further submitted affidavits, witness statements, and correspondence addressed to the NYSC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requesting official disclaimers regarding the alleged NYSC certificate.
