Tinubu NYSC Certificate Case: Abuja Court Fixes Date for Ruling on Atiku’s Amendment Bid

The Federal High Court in Abuja will decide on November 20 whether former Vice President Atiku Abubakar can change his lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku is asking the court to stop Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from running in the 2027 presidential election.

Justice Inyang Ekwo picked the date on Tuesday after hearing arguments from both sides. Atiku, representing the African Democratic Congress (ADC), wants to update his lawsuit, but Tinubu and the APC are strongly against it.

Atiku’s lawyer, Silas Onu, asked the judge for permission to edit the original lawsuit. He explained that the updates would allow Atiku to add more evidence regarding the alleged fake certificate.

Atiku and the ADC filed the request in September, after noticing mistakes in their first filing, such as using the wrong name for an electoral form.

They also want to fix layout errors, add a sworn statement from Atiku, and attach clearer copies of their evidence.

Tinubu’s legal team, led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, argued against the changes. They said Atiku cannot change the rules of the case after both sides have already started contesting the issues.

Lawyers for the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also asked the judge to reject the request. They argued that the timeline to file the specific legal challenges has already passed. Tinubu’s team further stated that the lawsuit was filed too late, counting from the day his name was given to INEC.

Background of the Lawsuit

Atiku and the ADC originally sued to disqualify Tinubu from the 2027 election. They claim the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate Tinubu gave to INEC is forged because it has the name “Bola Adekunle” instead of “Bola Tinubu.”

Tinubu and the APC deny making a fake certificate and have asked the court to throw out the entire lawsuit. Justice Ekwo will deliver his decision on the amendment request on November 20, 2026.