Olushola Omogbehin
As the battle for the 2027 presidential election intensifies, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the administration of Bola Tinubu of failing to enforce the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy.
Atiku is also asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop Tinubu from seeking re-election over allegations surrounding an NYSC discharge certificate, while at the same time promosing to implement direct payment of federal allocations to the 774 local governments if elected President.
However, the difficulties in personally serving Tinubu with the originating processes stalled the proceedings as Atiku’s counsel, Joseph Onu Silas, told Justice Inyang Ekwo that the plaintiffs had been unable to personally serve Tinubu with the Originating Summons and sought permission to effect service through other means.
According to The Sun, Omosanya Popoola, who appeared for Tinubu, offered to accept the processes on the President’s behalf, but Atiku’s counsel declined, insisting that Popoola should first provide a written undertaking confirming that he had Tinubu’s authority to receive them.
An attempt by Dr. Alex Izinyon to convince the court to direct service through Tinubu’s counsel did not resolve the issue as Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned the matter to September 28 for further mention and to enable the plaintiffs regularise service.
Atiku who is the presidential flag bearer of ADC is challenging Tinubu’s eligibility for the 2027 election over an NYSC discharge certificate with the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle,” rather than “Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Atiku said, the certificate does not belong to Tinubu and wants the court to determine whether its alleged presentation to INEC affects the President’s constitutional qualification to contest the election.
In June 2023 during proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku presented certified copies of documents relating to Tinubu, including an NYSC discharge certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle.”
The documents were tendered through subpoenaed witness Mike Enahoro-Ebah alongside Tinubu’s Chicago State University records, INEC nomination documents and a certificate of service from Mobil Nigeria Plc but Counsel representing INEC, Tinubu and the APC objected to their admissibility but the tribunal admitted them in evidence.
Among others, section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, provides legal ground to pursuing the disqualification of Tinubu for presenting a forged certificate to INEC.
The plaintiffs are asking INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted in connection with the 2023 and 2027 presidential elections.
“If the certificate belongs to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, let that be established before the court,” Atiku said in his affidavit. “These are questions that deserve answers, not political insults or presidential silence.”
Atiku and the ADC are also challenging provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, which they contend unlawfully restrict who can challenge the qualification of a candidate.
The suit ultimately seeks orders barring Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election should the court uphold the plaintiffs’ allegations.
On the second front, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of failing to implement the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to the country’s 774 local governments.
He said his administration would ensure that allocations from the Federation Account are paid directly to councils.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, Atiku said implementation of the judgment would strengthen grassroots development and the financial independence of local governments.
“My administration will respect court judgments, protect local government autonomy, ensure that public funds reach the people for whom they are meant, and restore true federalism,” he said.
The Supreme Court had on July 11, 2024, ruled that allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the 774 local government councils rather than through state governments.
The judgment followed a suit instituted by the Federal Government against the 36 states over the administration and funding of local governments.
Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of failing to fully enforce the judgment because it was unwilling to confront state governors over control of council funds.
“Yet, the current administration of President Tinubu has failed to enforce this judgment, seemingly to avoid confronting the gluttonous APC state governors who previously controlled these funds, as an enticement to them to use the local government funds to buy votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election,” the statement said.
