A former regional spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh has asserted that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan remains constitutionally qualified to contest the 2027 presidential election.
He made this claim in response to comments by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, who said Jonathan’s eligibility could ultimately be determined in court.
Onoh disagreed strongly with Onanuga, arguing that Jonathan’s right to run has already been securely settled through court judgments.
He said reopening the question would amount to an unnecessary legal chase devoid of merit.
According to him, the power to choose Nigeria’s leaders lies with the people, and the Tinubu administration should not obstruct any contestant’s right to participate.
Speaking to journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, after retrieving a certified true copy of the relevant court decision, Onoh stressed that Jonathan’s eligibility is underpinned by binding, unappealed rulings.
He warned President Tinubu against being influenced by those who suggest otherwise.
Onoh pointed to a May 2022 judgment by Justice Isa H. Dashen of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa (Suit No. FHC/YNG/CS/86/2022), in which APC members had challenged Jonathan’s eligibility.
The court concluded that Jonathan’s assumption of office in 2010, following the demise of President Yar’Adua, was a succession under necessity (not an “elected” term) and therefore should not count toward the constitutional two-term limit.
That decision was never appealed, making it binding.
He further argued that Jonathan was only ever elected once (in 2011), completing a single full term, and that a constitutional amendment made later (the Fourth Alteration Act of 2018) — which added a clause barring anyone sworn in twice from future runs — cannot be applied retroactively to disqualify him.
Onoh described any attempt to reopen this settled matter as unconstitutional, citing judicial precedents that protect final judgments from being endlessly challenged.
He urged those raising doubts now to consider the doctrine of finality and the need for legal certainty.
Beyond the legal dimension, Onoh also cautioned President Tinubu to beware of political sycophants.
He said Tinubu should prioritize his administration’s performance and steer the conversation toward issues like economic recovery, security, and national unity if Jonathan joins the 2027 race.
Onoh’s assertions mark a sharp counter to Onanuga’s position, setting up a heated discourse within political and legal circles over Jonathan’s eligibility and the role of precedent in Nigerian electoral jurisprudence.
