Court Declares Jonathan Eligible for 2027 Presidential Election

The Federal High Court has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is constitutionally eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Tuesday in Abuja while dismissing a suit filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi seeking to stop Jonathan from participating in the election.

The plaintiff had asked the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a presidential candidate and also sought an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting or publishing his name for the 2027 poll.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, questioned whether Jonathan remained eligible to seek the presidency under Sections 1 and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

Jideobi argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit for presidential tenure after completing the unexpired tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010 before later winning the 2011 presidential election.

According to the plaintiff, another successful presidential bid by Jonathan in 2027 would amount to a third oath of office as president and exceed the constitutional maximum period allowed.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, the plaintiff maintained that Jonathan’s return to office would violate constitutional provisions regulating tenure limits for Nigerian presidents.

However, Justice Lifu rejected the arguments and ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the action because he failed to demonstrate how Jonathan’s possible candidacy directly affected him.

The judge also held that previous judicial decisions had already settled the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility.

According to the court, both the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had earlier ruled that Jonathan remained constitutionally qualified to contest for president again.

Justice Lifu said he was bound by the decisions of the appellate court and described the suit as “an abuse of court process.”

The court subsequently awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi in favour of Jonathan.

An additional N1 million cost was also awarded against the plaintiff in favour of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Justice Lifu further dismissed a separate application filed by the plaintiff seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case, describing the request as frivolous.

The ruling is expected to intensify political discussions ahead of the 2027 election, especially following renewed calls by some political groups urging Jonathan to return to active politics.

Recently, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Tanimu Turaki announced that it had granted Jonathan a waiver and adopted him as its sole presidential candidate.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has repeatedly maintained a cautious position regarding calls for his return to the presidential race.

Political analysts believe the court ruling may further strengthen ongoing consultations among opposition figures seeking a formidable candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.