The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned further proceedings in a suit seeking the disqualification of President Bola Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election after lawyers disagreed over how court processes should be served on him.
The case was mentioned on Tuesday before Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo, following an application by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for an order allowing substituted service on Tinubu.
Atiku’s counsel, Joseph Onu Silas, told the court that efforts to personally serve Tinubu with the originating summons had been unsuccessful.
He therefore requested an order permitting the court documents to be served through an alternative method so that the case could proceed.
However, counsel to Tinubu, Omosanya Popoola, SAN, offered to accept the court process on behalf of his client. He asked the court to direct Atiku’s lawyer to hand the documents to him in open court.
Atiku’s counsel objected, insisting that Popoola should provide a written undertaking confirming that he had Tinubu’s authority to receive the process on his behalf.
The disagreement led to a brief courtroom argument between the lawyers. An attempt by Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN, to persuade the court to allow service of the process through Tinubu’s lawyer was also unsuccessful.
Justice Ekwo subsequently adjourned further mention of the case until September 28.
Atiku had instituted the suit against Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking Tinubu’s disqualification from the 2027 presidential election on alleged constitutional and electoral grounds.
The former vice president is asking the court to determine Tinubu’s eligibility under relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act 2026.
