ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal High Court in Abuja will today hear a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election over alleged constitutional disqualification.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, was filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who is asking the court to declare that Jonathan is no longer eligible to seek Nigeria’s highest office under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Peter Lifu had earlier fixed May 8 for hearing after the defendants reportedly failed to file responses to the suit. On April 28, the judge ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on all parties involved in the matter.
Jonathan is listed as the first defendant, while the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation were joined as second and third defendants respectively.
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In the suit, the plaintiff urged the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
He also asked the court to prevent the electoral commission from accepting, recognising or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate for the poll.
According to the originating summons, the plaintiff asked the court to determine “whether in view of the combined provisions of Sections 1(1), (2) and (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the 1st defendant is eligible, under any circumstances whatsoever, to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Jideobi argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit of two presidential terms after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later serving another full term following his victory in the 2011 presidential election.
An affidavit deposed to by Emmanuel Agida in support of the suit stated that Jonathan was sworn in as president on May 6, 2010, following Yar’Adua’s death a day earlier on May 5, 2010.
The affidavit further noted that growing reports suggesting Jonathan may return to contest the 2027 election informed the decision to approach the court for interpretation of the constitutional provisions.
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“That the plaintiff believes that the 1st defendant, having completed the unexpired term of late President Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full term after the 2011 election, has exhausted the constitutional limit of two tenures as president,” the affidavit partly read.
The plaintiff further maintained that if Jonathan contests and wins the 2027 election, he would be taking the presidential oath of office for the third time, which he argued would violate constitutional provisions.
Agida added that the suit was instituted “in the public interest, in defence of the rule of law and accentuation of the supremacy of the Constitution, and to preserve the integrity of the Nigerian constitutional order.”