Politics
BREAKING: Court clears Jonathan to run for 2027 presidency
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to bar former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, effectively clearing the way for him to run if he chooses to participate.
Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment, held that the suit filed by Johnmary Jideobi lacked merit and amounted to an abuse of court process.
The court also ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to institute the case, noting that he failed to demonstrate how Jonathan’s possible candidacy directly affected his interest.
Justice Lifu subsequently awarded a total cost of N21 million against the plaintiff — N20 million in favour of Jonathan and N1 million in favour of the Attorney General of the Federation.
Describing the suit as frivolous and a waste of judicial time, the judge noted that similar cases on the same issue had already been dismissed by higher courts.
He referenced earlier decisions in Andy Solomon v. Jonathan at the Federal High Court and Cyracus Njoku v. Jonathan at the Court of Appeal, aligning his ruling with those precedents and stating that he had nothing further to add.
The court also expressed concern that the plaintiff and his counsel proceeded with the matter despite existing judgments on the issue.
The suit, filed in October 2025, had sought a declaration that Jonathan was constitutionally ineligible to contest the presidency in 2027, citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution relating to term limits.
The plaintiff argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional two-term limit, having first completed the unexpired tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua before serving a full elected term after the 2011 election.
He had urged the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate and to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing his name for the 2027 polls.
Jonathan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Attorney General of the Federation were all joined as defendants in the suit.
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