Official documents belonging to Mahmud Sadisu Buba, popularly known as Abin Al’ajabi, an aspirant for the Sabon Gari Federal Constituency seat in Kaduna State, indicate that he was born in 2010, contrary to claims and media reports that placed his age at 30.
The dwarf politician drew public attention after appearing before the All Progressives Congress, APC screening committee on Saturday.
Before then, he had been photographed with several prominent political figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and some governors.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Mr Buba said he was above 25 years old, the minimum constitutional age required to contest a seat in Nigeria’s House of Representatives.
However, a National Identification Number, NIN slip and an international passport seen by our correspondent reportedly show that he was born on August 27, 2010, meaning he will turn 16 in August 2026.
If accurate, the date of birth in the documents would place him below the constitutional age requirement for the House of Representatives and could affect his eligibility for the race.
Section 65 of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that a candidate for the House of Representatives must be at least 25 years old, while those seeking election into the Senate, governorship and presidency must be at least 35.
Meanwhile, a petition has been submitted to the APC House of Representatives Appeals Committee, challenging the aspirant’s eligibility over alleged discrepancies in his age, identity documents and educational qualifications.
The petition, filed by a law firm BLACK HALSBURYS L.P on behalf of Samaru Layin Tsamiya Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited, accused the aspirant of allegedly falsifying his age, NIN and educational credentials.
Addressed to the chairman of the APC House of Representatives Appeals Committee at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the petition said the allegations, if proven, could hurt the party’s chances in the 2027 general election.
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