Photo: Goodluck Jonathan
By: Daniel Kanu
A Federal High Court in Abuja, today, Tuesday ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing a suit seeking to bar him from future participation in the race.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that the suit filed by one Johnmary Jideobi lacked merit and amounted to an abuse of court process, noting that the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been settled by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
The plaintiff had asked the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election on the grounds that he had already taken the oath of office twice as president, contrary to the provisions of Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
Jideobi also sought an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name should he emerge as a candidate of any political party.
However, Justice Lifu ruled that Jonathan remained constitutionally qualified to seek the presidency again, stressing that previous judicial pronouncements on the matter were binding on the court.
“I am bound by the above decision of the Court of Appeal and this court. I have no more to add,” the judge stated.
The court further held that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, having failed to show any personal injury or loss arising from Jonathan’s alleged intention to contest the election.
Justice Lifu consequently awarded ₦20 million in damages against the plaintiff in favour of the former president, as well as an additional ₦1 million cost in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The judge also dismissed a separate application filed by the plaintiff seeking his withdrawal from the case, describing the request as frivolous.
The ruling comes amid renewed political speculation surrounding Jonathan’s possible return to active politics ahead of the 2027 general election.
Only recently, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki reportedly offered Jonathan a waiver and endorsed him as the party’s sole presidential aspirant.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, had previously contested the 2015 presidential election under the PDP but lost to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since leaving office, he has largely played diplomatic and peacebuilding roles across Africa, serving as an election observer and mediator in several countries.
