A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja is scheduled to hear a suit on Friday seeking to prevent former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Naija News reports that the case was instituted by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who is asking the court to declare Jonathan constitutionally unqualified to run for president again.
During proceedings on April 28, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, directed that hearing notices be served on the defendants after they failed to file their responses.
In the suit, Jideobi is asking the court to restrain Jonathan from seeking nomination as a presidential candidate under any political party ahead of the 2027 general election.
He also requested an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate for the election.
The former president is listed as the first defendant in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, while INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation are named as second and third defendants respectively.
The plaintiff urged 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 for holding office as president after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later serving a full term following the 2011 election.
In a supporting affidavit deposed to by Emmanuel Agida on behalf of the plaintiff, it was stated that Jonathan assumed office as president on May 6, 2010, following Yar’Adua’s death the previous day.
Agida explained that reports suggesting Jonathan may contest the 2027 election prompted the legal action.
“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 stated.
It further noted that failure by the court to intervene could allow a political party to field Jonathan as its presidential candidate in violation of constitutional provisions.
The plaintiff also argued that a victory for Jonathan in 2027 would result in him taking the presidential oath of office for a third time.
“In the event the 1st defendant is returned elected and sworn in as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2027, it will mark the third time the 1st defendant will be taking the oath of office as president,” the affidavit added.
Agida maintained that the suit was filed in the public interest to uphold the rule of law, protect the supremacy of the Constitution and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.