The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has set September 7 to hear a suit seeking the disqualification of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Monday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed fixed the hearing after the court granted an ex-parte order for substituted service on the presidential hopeful who had so far evaded personal service of court processes.

The court ordered that the court process be served at the APC’s National Secretariat and the service will be deemed as being properly served.

The plaintiffs, four chieftains of the APC, are asking that the court disqualify Mr Tinubu from contesting or participating in the 2023 presidential elections as the APC’s candidate on the grounds of him supplying fake documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the presidential candidate of the party.

In a 33-paragraph affidavit filed in court and deposed to by Ibiang Miko Ibiang, the plaintiffs claim that Mr Tinubu falsely swore to an affidavit in 1999 where he said he attended St. Paul Aroloya Children Home School, Ibadan, between 1958 and 1964, as well as the Government College, Ibadan between 1965 and 1968 and presented the document to INEC.

In June, Mr Tinubu had disclosed to the electoral body via an affidavit that he did not attend primary and secondary schools as part of his eligibility filings for the 2023 presidential elections.

The documents reported by Peoples Gazette revealed two blank spaces when asked what establishments provided Mr Tinubu with his primary and secondary education. However, Mr Tinubu noted his degree in business and administration in 1979 received from the Chicago State University.

The former Lagos governor claimed he was on self-exile from October 1994 to October 1998 and his credentials had been stolen from his home before he returned.

“When I returned I discovered that all my property, including all the documents relating to my qualifications and my certificates in respect of paragraph three above, were looted by unknown persons,” said Mr Tinubu. 

The current claims made by the APC chieftain are at odds with previous declarations made by him. In 1999 and 2003, when Mr Tinubu ran for office as a governorship candidate in Lagos, he claimed that he attended primary and secondary schools.

He said he attended St Paul Children’s Home School, Ibadan, between 1958 to 1964; while his secondary education was at Government College, Ibadan, between 1965 to 1968. From Ibadan, Mr Tinubu said went to Richard Daley College, Chicago, from 1969 to 1971.

The Chicago State University said it was unable to provide clarity on the primary and secondary schools attended by Mr Tinubu as his academic records are protected by American privacy laws.