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 participating in the race.
The case was filed by Johnmary Jideobi, who asked the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself as a presidential candidate and to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting or publishing his name for the election.
The plaintiff argued that Jonathan’s eligibility should be interpreted in line with provisions of the 1999 Constitution relating to presidential tenure limits.
However, delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that the former president remains constitutionally qualified to contest the election and ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the suit.
The judge stated that the plaintiff failed to demonstrate any personal injury or legal interest that would justify the action, adding that earlier rulings by courts in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had already affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility.
Justice Lifu said he was bound by the decisions of the higher courts and described the suit as an abuse of court process.
The court also imposed a N20 million fine against the plaintiff in favour of Jonathan and awarded an additional N1 million against him in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The ruling comes amid growing political speculation over Jonathan’s possible return to frontline politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Recently, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party reportedly offered Jonathan a waiver and endorsed him as its sole presidential candidate, further fueling discussions about a potential comeback bid.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president between 2010 and 2015, has not officially declared his intention to contest the election. However, the court ruling is expected to intensify political debate and consultations ahead of the next presidential race.
