By Stephen Simon
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in a suit seeking to stop Jonathan from participating in any future presidential election on the grounds that he had already taken the oath of office twice as president.
The suit was filed by Johnmary Jideobi, who asked the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 election. He also sought an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting, processing, or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
Jideobi had urged the court to determine whether, having regard to Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the former president remained eligible to seek the office again.
However, Justice Lifu held that Jonathan could lawfully participate in the election, stressing that the issue had already been settled by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in earlier decisions.
“I am bound by the above decision of the Court of Appeal and this court, I have no more to add,” the judge said while delivering judgment.
The court further described the suit as a waste of judicial time and an abuse of court process.
Justice Lifu awarded a N20 million cost against Jideobi in favour of Jonathan. He also ordered the plaintiff to pay an additional N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The judge held that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the suit because he failed to show how he suffered any injury or loss from Jonathan’s perceived intention to contest the 2027 poll.
According to the court, both a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had earlier affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility to seek the presidency again, adding that the decisions remain binding.
Justice Lifu also dismissed a separate motion filed by Jideobi seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case, describing the application as frivolous.
The ruling comes barely a week after a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki reportedly offered Jonathan a waiver to emerge as the party’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
