Tinubu’s 2027 Re-Election Bid Faces Legal Hurdle as Atiku Files Fresh Identity Lawsuit
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Atiku Abubakar has dragged President Bola Tinubu to court over his eligibility to contest in 2027. Atiku is seeking the court’s intervention on whether Tinubu is eligible to contest given the explicit provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended and the Electoral Act 2026.
But the legal battle hit an early son due to the inability of the plaintiff to serve the originating processes on the President.
Presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo stepped in to give both legal teams time to resolve the issue out of court, scheduling the next hearing for September 28.
The Core of the Legal Challenge
In the lawsuit, Atiku is asking the court to interpret provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act as regards alleged discrepancies in the President’s identity documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The suit highlights the inclusion of the name Adekunle in some of the credentials submitted by the president to INEC, which the plaintiff argues creates an eligibility conflict ahead of the next general election.
Drama Over “Substituted Service”
The case could not formally begin because the court papers had not yet been officially delivered to President Tinubu.
The Plaintiff’s lawyer, Silas Onu, argued for the court to grant an order of substituted service—a legal mechanism to deliver court papers through alternative means (such as publication or pasting at a known address) when direct delivery is difficult.
But President Tinubu’s lawyer, Omosanya Popoola, countered that a formal order was entirely unnecessary. Popoola volunteered to accept the legal documents right there in the courtroom, giving a verbal undertaking that he would deliver them directly to his client.
A brief standoff occurred when Atiku’s legal team insisted that Popoola must submit a written commitment proving he had the official authority to sign for and accept the documents on the President’s behalf.
Court’s Decision
Rather than allowing the procedural argument to drag on, Justice Inyang Ekwo intervened. He directed both legal teams to resolve the logistics of serving the court papers harmoniously between themselves.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until September 28th for the report of service and further mention.
