Date: June 30, 2026 l Reporter: Kingston Nwosu
KANO, Nigeria — A civil society organisation has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Kano seeking an order to disqualify President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over allegations that he presented forged academic credentials during the 2023 election process. The claims have not been adjudicated by the court, and the Presidency and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had not responded publicly at the time of reporting.
The lawsuit was instituted by the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA) and is marked FHC/K/CS/312/2026. The suit lists President Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Chicago State University (CSU) as defendants. According to court documents, the group is asking the court to declare that Tinubu is constitutionally ineligible to contest the next presidential election based on allegations relating to his educational qualifications.
The CFRPA alleges that Tinubu submitted a forged Chicago State University certificate and a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to INEC during the 2023 presidential election. It further claims that the President's stated educational history contains inconsistencies, including his claim of attending Government College, Lagos, which the group argues was established after the year he reportedly graduated. These are allegations made by the plaintiff and have not been proven in court.
The organisation also cited records released by Chicago State University in 2023 following legal proceedings in the United States, arguing that those documents revealed discrepancies in the academic records associated with Tinubu. The plaintiff referenced the U.S. case that compelled the university to release the records, contending that the disclosures raise questions about the authenticity of documents previously submitted to Nigerian electoral authorities.
According to the court filings, the group is seeking several declarations and orders, including a judicial declaration that the Chicago State University certificate presented by Tinubu is forged, an order directing INEC to disqualify him from participating in the 2027 presidential election, and an order compelling Chicago State University to remove his name from its alumni records. The suit also seeks a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from accepting or recognising Tinubu as a presidential candidate in the 2027 polls.
The legal action revives a controversy that dominated political discourse following Nigeria's 2023 presidential election. Questions surrounding Tinubu's academic records became the subject of legal challenges in both Nigeria and the United States, although the disputes did not prevent his inauguration as president. The new lawsuit seeks fresh judicial intervention ahead of preparations for the next general election.
Under Nigeria's Constitution, presenting a forged certificate to INEC can constitute grounds for disqualification from contesting the presidency if established through due legal process. However, legal experts note that allegations alone do not determine eligibility, and any such finding would depend on the outcome of judicial proceedings.
As of the time of publication, neither the Presidency, INEC nor Chicago State University had issued an official response to the fresh lawsuit. The Federal High Court is expected to fix a date for hearing the matter, which could become one of the earliest major legal challenges linked to Nigeria's 2027 presidential election.