Court Clears Goodluck Jonathan to Run in 2027 Presidential Election

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Tuesday in a suit filed by Johnmary Jideobi, who had asked the court to stop Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate for any political party.

Jideobi had also sought an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate. 

He asked the court to determine whether, under Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remained eligible to seek the office again.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that Jonathan could participate in the election. 

He stressed the court was bound by earlier decisions of a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal, which had already affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility.

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The judge described Jideobi’s suit as "an abuse of court process" and ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the case, having not suffered any direct loss from Jonathan’s reported intention to run.

Justice Lifu imposed a fine of twenty million naira (N20m) against Jideobi in favour of Jonathan, and a further one million naira (N1m) in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). 

He also dismissed a separate motion seeking his withdrawal from the case, describing it as frivolous.

The ruling comes after a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki last week offered Jonathan a waiver as the party’s sole presidential candidate.