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As di 2027 presidential election dey come closer, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar don carry anoda certificate forgery mata go court against Presido Bola Tinubu, and Atiku want make court disqualify Tinubu from contesting di election.
Dis mata wey come up for hearing on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, dey different from di former certificate forgery mata wey di President bin face during di 2023 elections, wey court later throw comot.
Atiku for dis new court mata, dey accuse say di National Youth Service Corps certificate wey Tinubu bin submit to di Independent National Electoral Commission as part of im documents to run for president, na fake.
Di former vice president, wey also be di presidential Candidate of di African Democratic Congress (ADC), claim say di name for di certificate wey Tinubu submit na ‘Tinubu Bola Adekunle’, while di official name of di President wey evribodi know na ‘Bola Ahmed Tinubu’.
Atiku say di offence dey against sections 137, 139 and 285 of di 1999 Nigeria Constitution.
Why di mata dey drag for court
On Tuesday suppose be di first day of hearing for di mata bifor Justice Inyang Ekwo of di Federal High Court Abuja, but di mata no go ahead bicos Atiku lawyer, Joseph Onu, tell di judge say im neva serve President Tinubu di court summons.
Onu tok say all im attempts to serve Tinubu di court papers personally no dey successful, and e also refuse to serve di documents on Omosanya Popoola, di senior advocate wey dey represent Tinubu for di mata.
E insist say e must to serve di President directly or make oga Popoola bring letter from wey go confirm say Tinubu give am authority to collect di court documents on im behalf. Otherwise, Onu say make di court give order for substituted service.
Afta arguments from both parties, Justice Ekwo adjourn di mata to 28 September for continuation.
Why Atiku lawyer insist to serve Tinubu directly?
For any court mata to dey authentic, “service dey veri fundamental”, according to Okiki Adeniran wey be legal practitioner and political sabi pesin.
Di word ‘service’ hia mean, to make sure say di court documents for di case reach di hand of di pesin wey di mata concern.
“Service on di President’s lawyer, no be proper service, (bicos) di law and di rules of court tok say wen you no fit serve somebody personally, you fit do am tru anoda means, but e must be tru order of court,” Adeniran tok for TV interview.
“I believe say dat na wetin di lawyer to Atiku bin dey ask di court, to give oda make dem serve di president tru anoda means, maybe tru di national dailies or anoda way.”
Adeniran tok say if Atiku lawyers bin serve Tinubu lawyers for court dia, na just advance copy dem give dem, e no go count as real service, unless say evidence dey say Tinubu bin give dem authority to receive service on im behalf.
Wetin di law tok about ceritificates and forgery for election mata?
According to di Nigeria law, NYSC certificate no be one of di criteria wey pesin must to get bifor e go qualify for President. Na only afta pesin don complete tertiary education wey e fit go for NYSC and get di certificate.
Di minimum education qualification na “school certificate level or im equivalent”, according to section 131 of di constitution. Dis mean say di pesin must at least finish secondary school.
However, to forge certificate and submit am to Inec as part of your documents, na enuf ground to disqualify pesin from contesting election.
Section 137 of di Constitution list out many reasons wey fit disqualify pesin make e no contest for election for di kontri, and one of dem, for subsection (j), tok say if di pesin bin “present forged certificate to di Independent National Electoral Commission”.
Di mata now na for di court to decide.
E don hapun bifor?
Wia dis foto come from, @iamLyondavid
Incidentally, dis no be di first time Justice Inyang Ekwo go handle mata like dis wey concern accuse of certificate forgery for election mata.
For November 2019, di judge give ogbonge judgement to disqualify di govnor-elect of Bayelsa State dat time, David Lyon, sake of say im running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, bin submit “false information” to Inec bifor di election.
Di mata be say di name for one of di certificates of di deputy-govnor-elect na Adeyi-Eremienyo, and for anoda document im name dia na Degi-Eremienyo, so justice Ekwo rule say di inconsitency plenty and e mean say di information na false.
Wen di mata reach di Court of Appeal, dem cancel di judgement of di lower court and rule say di candidate affected bin submit affidavit wey show evidence say e bin do change of name from Adeyi-Eremienyo to Degi-Eremienyo.
But wen di mata get to di Supreme Court, for February 2020, dem cancel di judgement of di Court of Appeal and maintain say Justice Ekwo dey right for im initial judgement to disqualify di APC deputy-govnor-elect.
And bicos say na joint ticket, di disqualification go also affect di govnor-elect, David Lyon, even though e personally no get any problem.
Di court order Inec to collect back di Certificate of Return wey dem bin give Lyon as winner of di 2019 govnorship election for Bayelsa State, and make dem declare di candidate wey come second for dat election as winner and govnor-elect.
Dat na how Duoye Diri of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) take bicom govnor of Bayelsa State even though e no get di majority of votes for di election.
Also, former Finance Minister for Nigeria, Kemi Adeosun, bin resign from her position afta media break tori say she bin forge her NYSC certificate.
Former forgery accuse against Tinubu
Di 2023 mata bin concern di bachelors degree certificate we Tinubu bin obtain from di Chicago State University for di United States of America, wey some of im opponents accuse say no be original, but di university later confirm say true-true, President Tinubu graduate from dia school.
BBC also do one torchlight tori into di mata and find out say evidence no dey to prove say Tinubu bin forge im Chicago State University certificate.
