The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ruled that former President, Goodluck Jonathan, is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing a suit seeking to bar him from the race.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that Jonathan’s participation in the forthcoming election would not violate the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
The suit, filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, had sought an order restraining the former president from presenting himself as a candidate and stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting or publishing his name.
Jideobi had asked the court to determine whether Jonathan, having taken the oath of office twice, remained eligible to seek another term under constitutional limits.
In an affidavit deposed to by Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the maximum of eight years allowed for a Nigerian president, having completed the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently won a full term in 2011.
He contended that allowing Jonathan to contest and possibly win the 2027 election would amount to a third oath of office, in breach of the Constitution.
However, Justice Lifu dismissed the claims, ruling that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, as he failed to show any personal injury or infringement.
The judge further noted that both a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had earlier affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility, stressing that he was bound by those decisions.
He described the suit as “an abuse of court process” and also dismissed a motion seeking his recusal, calling it frivolous.
The court awarded N20 million in costs against Jideobi in favour of Jonathan and an additional N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Meanwhile, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, had recently granted Jonathan a waiver, endorsing him as its sole presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
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