Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday declared former President Goodluck Jonathan eligible to participate in the 2027 presidential election.
The judgment elicited a positive reaction from the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, which earlier granted a screening waiver to Jonathan to pave the pathway for his presidential ambition.
The PDP faction, which scheduled its primaries for May 28, 2026, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the ruling as being in line with the law and “common sense.”
“This judgment is clearly in alignment with the law and common sense, as laws cannot have a retroactive or retrospective effect,” it said.
The opposition party also described the suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility as “vexatious” and “a gross abuse of court processes.”
According to the PDP, the legal action was an unnecessary distraction that should not have been instituted.
“The punitive cost against the plaintiff is also very much welcomed, to serve as a deterrent to intending busybodies and irritants, who make themselves available for use by those seeking to derail democracy,” the party stated.
The former President had told a group of supporters urging him to contest in 2027 that he was still consulting, adding that an election is not a computer game.
He told the group, “I have heard you. The presidential race is not a computer game. I will consult widely.”
Delivering judgment in the suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, Justice Peter Lifu held that Jonathan could contest the election.
Jideobi had approached the court seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiff also sought to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
He asked the court to determine whether, having regard to Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remained eligible to seek the office of president again.
Jideobi, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, insisted that Jonathan was no longer eligible to run for the office of president as he had already been sworn in as president on two occasions.
In an affidavit of facts that was deposed in support of the suit by one Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff argued that if ex-President Jonathan wins the 2027 presidential election, which is for a term of four years spanning 2027 to 2031, he would have exceeded eight years, being the cumulative maximum years a Nigerian president is statutorily permitted to stay in office.
“The plaintiff believes that the first defendant, having completed the unexpired term of the late President Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full term after the 2011 election, has exhausted the constitutional limit of two tenures as president.
“That if the court does not intervene timeously, a political party may present the first defendant as its presidential candidate in the 2027 general election, thereby breaching the Constitution.
“In the event the first defendant is returned as elected and sworn as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2027, it will mark the third time the first defendant will be taking the oath of office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
He also prayed the court for an order directing the third defendant (Attorney-General of the Federation) to ensure compliance with the decisions and orders of this court.
However, in his judgment, Justice Lifu awarded a N20m fine against Jideobi and in favour of Jonathan.
The court additionally awarded N1m fine against the plaintiff in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year’s poll.
The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.
The judge described Jideobi’s suit as “an abuse of court process.”
Justice Lifu also dismissed Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivolous.
Jonathan meets S’Leone President
Jonathan, however, met with Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio in Freetown, as part of engagements focused on peace, democratic governance, and regional cooperation in West Africa.
He made the disclosure in a statement shared on Tuesday via his social media account, where he said the visit was carried out in his capacity as Special Envoy of President Bola Tinubu, alongside his role with regional democracy platforms.
“Today, I paid a special visit to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio… Our discussions focused on issues of mutual interest and matters relating to peace, stability, democratic governance, and regional cooperation within the West African sub-region,” he said.
He added that the engagement also involved the Economic Community of West African States Commission and the West African Elders Forum, noting that discussions centred on strengthening stability across the region.
“I deeply appreciate President Bio for the warm reception, gracious hospitality, and conviviality extended to me during our fruitful engagements,” Jonathan said.
The Punch
