A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, affirming that he remains constitutionally eligible to seek the nation’s highest office.
Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the matter, held that the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been settled in previous judgments delivered by the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and upheld by the Court of Appeal. The court consequently dismissed the suit filed by Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, who argued that Jonathan had exhausted the constitutional limit for the presidency.
The plaintiff had asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting Jonathan’s nomination for the 2027 election, contending that the former president had already taken the presidential oath twice — first after the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in 2010, and again after winning the 2011 presidential election.
However, Jonathan’s legal team, led by senior advocate Chris Uche (SAN), argued that the constitutional amendment contained in Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution could not be applied retroactively against the former president. The defence maintained that courts had earlier resolved the legal dispute in Jonathan’s favour and urged the court to dismiss the case for lacking merit.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, represented by officials from the Federal Ministry of Justice, also backed the call for the dismissal of the suit, insisting that there was no constitutional barrier preventing Jonathan from contesting again.
The ruling is expected to reignite political discussions over Jonathan’s possible return to active partisan politics ahead of the 2027 general election, despite the former president not officially declaring any intention to run. Political observers believe the judgment may further fuel speculations surrounding his political future and the search for strong contenders ahead of the next presidential contest.
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