Official records belonging to Mahmud Sadisu Buba, widely known as Abin Al’ajabi, an aspirant for the Sabon Gari Federal Constituency seat in Kaduna State, indicate that he was born in 2010—casting doubt on previous media reports that placed his age at 30.
The little-person politician first drew public attention when he appeared before the All Progressives Congress (APC) screening committee on Saturday. Prior to that, he had been photographed alongside several prominent political figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and a number of state governors.
In a recent BBC interview, Buba claimed to be above 25 years old—the minimum constitutional age required to contest for a seat in Nigeria’s House of Representatives.
However, a National Identification Number (NIN) slip and an international passport seen by this newspaper reportedly show that he was born on August 27, 2010, meaning he will turn 16 in August 2026. If accurate, this would place him well below the constitutionally mandated age for the lower legislative chamber and could render him ineligible for the race.
Section 65 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution stipulates that a candidate for the House of Representatives must be at least 25 years old, while aspirants for the Senate, governorship, and presidency must be at least 35.
A petition has been submitted to the APC House of Representatives Appeals Committee, challenging Buba’s eligibility over alleged discrepancies in his age, identity documents, and educational qualifications.
The petition, filed by the law firm Black Halsburys L.P. on behalf of the Samaru Layin Tsamiya Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited, accuses the aspirant of falsifying his age, NIN details, and academic credentials.
Addressed to the chairman of the APC House of Representatives Appeals Committee at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the petition warns that the allegations, if proven, could hurt the party’s chances in the 2027 general election.
“We are solicitors to Samaru Layin Tsamiya Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited, all members of the All Progressives Congress, Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, Kaduna State,” part of the petition read.
The petitioners allege that Buba was born on August 27, 2010, at Hajiya Gambo Sawaba Government General Hospital in Zaria, and was issued a birth certificate at birth. They further claim that his NIN records and educational documents reflect the same date of birth.
“The Respondent has prior to now been issued with a National Identification Number (NIN) bearing 27th August, 2010 as his date of birth,” the petition stated.
The petition also claims that the aspirant was admitted into Demonstration Secondary School, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 2023 and sat for the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams in 2025.
Despite these records, the petitioners say Buba declared himself as 30 years old in the expression of interest and nomination forms submitted to the APC screening committee.
The petitioners are urging the committee to compel Buba to produce original copies of his NIN slip, birth certificate, international passport, and educational certificates for verification. They also called for independent confirmation of his records with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and NECO.
Among other demands, they ask the committee to disqualify him from the APC primary election if any material falsification or non-compliance is established.
“This petition is filed without malice, political vendetta, or personal hostility. It is submitted solely to protect the constitutional and procedural integrity of the party’s nomination process,” the petition added.