A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing a suit seeking to stop him from returning to office.
Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment on Tuesday, held that there is no constitutional barrier preventing Jonathan from seeking another term as Nigeria’s president.
The court described the case filed by Abuja-based lawyer, Jideobi Johnmary, as “frivolous” and an abuse of court process, stressing that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the suit.
The lawsuit had questioned Jonathan’s eligibility on the grounds that he had already taken the presidential oath twice — first after the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010 and later after winning the 2011 presidential election.
The plaintiff argued that allowing Jonathan to contest again in 2027 would violate Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution, which limits a president to a maximum of two terms in office.
However, the court ruled that the issue had already been settled by the Court of Appeal and could not be relitigated.
Johnmary had asked the court to stop Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for nomination ahead of the 2027 general election and also sought an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting his candidacy.
In his affidavit, the plaintiff claimed that if Jonathan contested and won in 2027, he would exceed the constitutional eight-year limit allowed for Nigerian presidents.
But Justice Lifu dismissed the argument and struck out the case entirely.
The judgment has already sparked fresh political reactions ahead of the 2027 elections, with many Nigerians now speculating about a possible return of Jonathan to active presidential politics.
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015 after completing Yar’Adua’s tenure and later winning the 2011 presidential election before losing to former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
