Omoyele Sowore Seeks Tinubu’s Election Records in Criminal Trial

A court order could bring two sets of Bola Tinubu’s election records into the spotlight as part of activist Omoyele Sowore’s ongoing criminal trial. The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the chairman of Nigeria’s electoral commission to produce nomination documents Tinubu submitted for the 1999 Lagos governorship race and the 2023 presidential election. Justice Mohammed Garba Umar issued the order after Sowore’s defence team applied for the records to be presented as evidence. INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan has been directed to appear in court on November 11, 2026, and bring the specified documents, according to the report. APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe is also expected to appear as a defence witness. The requested records include Tinubu’s Form CF001 from both election cycles, along with an affidavit concerning lost certificates that he submitted in connection with his 1999 candidacy. The form requires candidates to provide personal details, including information about their educational qualifications. Sowore’s lawyers want to examine the documents and compare what was submitted in 1999 with the information in the 2023 form. The case stems from Sowore’s public response to a statement Tinubu reportedly made during a visit to Brazil on August 25, 2025, claiming his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria. Sowore challenged that assertion in a post on his verified X account, calling the President a criminal and accusing him of lying about corruption in the country. The report says the criminal charges against the activist arose from those comments. Tinubu’s educational history and the affidavit concerning lost certificates have drawn public attention and featured in political arguments for years. The latest court order does not establish any finding about the contents of the records; it requires the electoral commission’s chairman to produce them for the proceedings. The report says the hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. on November 11.