A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, ruling that the ex-leader remains constitutionally eligible to seek office again if he chooses.
Justice Peter Lifu also imposed a combined N21 million fine on the plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi, describing the suit as frivolous and an abuse of court process. The court awarded N20 million in favour of Jonathan and another N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The plaintiff had argued that Jonathan was constitutionally barred from contesting again because he had already been sworn in twice as president following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010 and his subsequent election victory in 2011. He relied on Sections 1 and 137(3) of the Constitution, insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, lacked the authority to accept Jonathan’s nomination for the 2027 election.
However, Justice Lifu held that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to file the suit because he failed to show any personal injury or loss connected to Jonathan’s possible ambition. The judge also said previous rulings by the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had already settled the issue in Jonathan’s favour.
Jonathan’s lawyer argued that the constitutional amendment being relied upon could not apply retroactively against the former president, who last contested an election in 2015. He described the case as politically motivated and cited earlier decisions including Andy Solomon v Jonathan and Cyracus Njoku v Jonathan, both of which upheld Jonathan’s eligibility.
The Attorney-General of the Federation supported Jonathan’s position and asked the court to dismiss the matter entirely. Government lawyer Maimuna Lami-Shiru also opposed a separate application asking Justice Lifu to withdraw from the case over alleged bias, describing it as baseless and without merit. The judge dismissed the recusal request before proceeding with the substantive suit.
Although Jonathan has not publicly declared interest in the 2027 race, speculation over a possible comeback has intensified in recent weeks. A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party reportedly backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde recently announced Jonathan as its preferred presidential candidate for the next general election.
Jonathan has neither accepted nor rejected the endorsement, but Tuesday’s ruling is expected to fuel fresh political discussions ahead of the 2027 elections.
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