INEC Wants Atiku's Certificate Suit Thrown Out Without Being Heard
Abuja · Saturday 12 September 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission has asked an Abuja court to dismiss Atiku Abubakar's suit over President Bola Tinubu's alleged forged NYSC certificate, arguing that Atiku lacks the legal standing to bring it and that the filing is an abuse of court process. President Tinubu and the APC, the All Progressives Congress, have separately asked for the case to be struck out.
Two different arguments, and only one of them is about the certificate
A preliminary objection says the court should not hear a case at all. It is a legitimate and routine tool, and it is decided before any evidence is examined. Whether a document is genuine is a separate question that only arises if the objection fails.
| Question before the court | Stage |
|---|---|
| Can Atiku bring this case | Now |
| Was this filing made in time | Now |
| Is the certificate genuine | Only if the first two are cleared |
Most Nigerian election litigation ends on the first two rows.
The position INEC has put itself in
The commission is the body that accepts nomination papers, and it is now arguing that the person challenging what was accepted should not be heard. That is defensible in law. It sits awkwardly with the commission's stated interest in public confidence ahead of 2027, in a week when it has been telling the world about its cybersecurity preparations.
An institution can be legally correct and still lose the argument it actually needs to win, which is the one about whether people trust it.
What to watch
The ruling on the objections, and its reasoning. If the case is dismissed on standing, the allegation remains exactly where it was: publicly made, never tested, and available to be made again in 2027. If it proceeds, Nigeria gets something rare, which is a documentary dispute about a sitting president heard in open court.
Reporting: Daily Post Nigeria, Legit.ng, BarristerNG and Independent Newspaper Nigeria.
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