Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had opened two fronts against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku and the African Democratic Congress were seeking to disqualify Tinubu from contesting the election over a disputed NYSC discharge certificate. However, the case was adjourned to September 28 after difficulties serving the President with the court documents.

Atiku alleged that the NYSC certificate submitted to INEC carried the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” and questioned whether it belonged to President Tinubu. The allegation had not been judicially established.

On another front, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of failing to fully implement the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local governments.

He promised that if elected, his administration would ensure that federal allocations were paid directly to local government councils. Atiku said this would strengthen grassroots development, reduce poverty and improve the capacity of councils to tackle insecurity.

The former vice president’s two-pronged challenge had therefore taken the 2027 political contest into both the courtroom and the wider political arena.