The Incorporated Trustees of the Centre for Reforms and Public Advocacy has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Kano seeking to disqualify President Bola Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over allegations that he submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The suit, marked FHC/KN/CS/312/2026, was filed at the Federal High Court, Kano Judicial Division, on June 26, 2026.
According to court documents obtained by Arewa PUNCH, the President, INEC and Chicago State University were listed as the first, second and third defendants, respectively.
The plaintiff is asking the court to declare that Tinubu presented forged academic credentials to INEC in support of his qualification for the 2023 presidential election.
It also wants the court to declare that the Chicago State University certificate submitted to INEC was forged and that the President is therefore not qualified to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Among the reliefs sought, the organisation urged the court to direct INEC to disqualify Tinubu from participating in the 2027 poll and restrain the commission from accepting or processing his nomination.
The group further asked the court to order Chicago State University to remove Tinubu’s name from its records and to issue a perpetual injunction preventing INEC from recognising him as a candidate in the next presidential election.
In its statement of claim, the plaintiff alleged that the President made false declarations about his educational qualifications and relied on documents released during the 2023 discovery proceedings in the United States involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Chicago State University.
According to the court documents, the plaintiff stated that Tinubu knowingly presented forged academic credentials and false information to INEC in support of his qualification to contest the office of President.
The organisation also alleged discrepancies in the President’s academic records, the names appearing on various documents and the NYSC certificate submitted to INEC.
It argued that the Chicago State University certificate presented to INEC was forged, invalid and incapable of conferring any constitutional qualification on the President.
The plaintiff maintained that the alleged discrepancies rendered Tinubu constitutionally ineligible to seek another term in office.
It further contended that the President is constitutionally disqualified from contesting the 2027 presidential election because he allegedly submitted forged documents contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.
The suit followed a series of letters sent by the organisation to INEC, the National Youth Service Corps and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation between 2025 and 2026 seeking clarification on the President’s academic and NYSC records.
The plaintiff claimed that despite the correspondence, the issues raised were not addressed, prompting it to seek judicial interpretation and enforcement of the constitutional provisions governing qualification for elective office.
It stated that the failure of the relevant public institutions to address its concerns made it necessary for the court to determine the constitutional questions raised in the suit.
The sole witness listed by the plaintiff is Emmanuella Alisi.
The organisation said it intends to rely on documents, including records from the United States proceedings involving Chicago State University and copies of correspondence exchanged with public institutions.
As of the time of filing this report, no hearing date had been fixed, while the defendants had yet to file their responses to the allegations.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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