A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his decision to seek the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election.
Igbokwe described the legal action as childish, while accusing the former vice president of lacking the trust of Nigerians to lead the country.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the 2027 election, had on Friday approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking it to disqualify Tinubu from contesting the next presidential election.
The former vice president based his case on an alleged forgery of Tinubu’s National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, discharge certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Atiku and the ADC are asking the court to examine the authenticity of the disputed certificate and determine whether it should affect Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election.
According to the former vice president, the NYSC discharge certificate allegedly submitted to INEC bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle”, rather than “Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, the name by which the President is widely known.
Atiku is also seeking access to relevant electoral documents in INEC’s custody as part of his legal challenge.
The case has already generated political reactions, with Igbokwe becoming one of the first APC figures to publicly attack Atiku over the suit.
Reacting in a Facebook post, Igbokwe described Atiku’s demand for Tinubu’s NYSC certificate as “childish” and questioned the former vice president’s political credibility.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is asking PBAT to produce his NYSC Certificate. Oro pe si je. The corrupt Custom man is not done yet. This is becoming childish,” Igbokwe wrote.
He also accused Atiku of being unfit to be trusted with Nigeria’s public treasury.
“Atiku Abubakar knows that Nigerians cannot trust him with the Treasury of Nigeria,” he added.
Igbokwe’s comments are likely to deepen the political exchange between supporters of the APC-led Federal Government and the opposition ADC as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum.
Atiku has emerged as one of the major opposition figures seeking to challenge Tinubu in the next presidential election. His decision to take the President to court over the alleged NYSC certificate is therefore expected to add another legal and political dimension to the contest.
The former vice president has maintained that his case is not about political arguments or social media exchanges but about obtaining relevant documents and allowing the judiciary to determine the matter.
Atiku had said he personally went to the court registry to depose to an affidavit supporting the suit because of the importance of the issues involved.
According to him, the matter concerns the Constitution and the integrity of the office of the President.
He also argued that Nigerians should know whether presidential candidates meet the constitutional requirements for election before they cast their votes.
Atiku’s legal team is relying on Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides that a person shall not be qualified for election as President if he has presented a forged certificate to INEC.
The plaintiffs are also challenging aspects of the Electoral Act 2026 which they argue could restrict the ability of candidates or political parties to challenge the qualification of presidential candidates before an election.
They maintain that the Constitution remains superior to any ordinary law made by the National Assembly.
However, the allegation against Tinubu has not been established by any court. The President and the other defendants will have the opportunity to respond to the claims and present their evidence before the court.
The controversy over Tinubu’s academic and personal records is not entirely new. Questions surrounding his records have featured prominently in political debates and legal challenges in recent years, especially since he emerged as the APC presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 election.
Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election and was sworn in as President on May 29, 2023, after defeating Atiku and other candidates.
Atiku later challenged the election results at the Presidential Election Petition Court and subsequently at the Supreme Court, but the courts upheld Tinubu’s victory.
The latest legal action comes as the political landscape ahead of the 2027 election becomes increasingly active, with opposition parties and politicians stepping up their efforts to challenge the ruling APC.
The ADC has been positioning itself as a platform for opposition politicians seeking to defeat the APC in 2027. Atiku’s emergence as its presidential candidate has further raised the stakes in the coming contest.
For the APC, however, the legal challenge is being viewed by some of its members as another attempt to weaken Tinubu’s bid for re-election.
Igbokwe’s reaction reflects the position of the President’s political supporters, who have repeatedly defended Tinubu against allegations concerning his qualifications and records.
The court will ultimately determine whether the issues raised by Atiku have sufficient legal basis to affect Tinubu’s eligibility.
Until then, the dispute is likely to remain both a legal and political issue as the country moves closer to the 2027 presidential election.
While Atiku has insisted that the judiciary should determine the matter based on evidence, Igbokwe and other APC supporters are expected to continue defending the President and attacking the opposition’s strategy.