Court to Rule on Suit Seeking to Bar Jonathan from 2027 Presidential Race
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 26 for judgment in a suit seeking to prevent former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Jonathan, along with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has asked the court to dismiss the case, describing it as lacking merit.
Justice Peter Lifu also slated the date to determine a separate application filed by the plaintiff, Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who is asking the judge to withdraw from the case over alleged bias.
In the suit, Jideobi is asking the court to interpret sections 1(1), (2) and (3) as well as 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution to determine whether Jonathan is still eligible to contest for the office of President.
He argued that the former president had already benefited from two terms in office, having first been sworn in on May 6, 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and later elected in 2011.
Jonathan’s legal team, led by Chris Uche (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the suit, describing it as an abuse of judicial process and an attempt to use litigation for political purposes. He also asked the court to award N50 million in costs against the plaintiff.
Uche argued that similar cases had previously been dismissed by courts and maintained that the constitutional provisions being relied on by the plaintiff cannot be applied retroactively to bar Jonathan from future elections.
He further challenged the plaintiff’s legal standing, insisting that Jideobi failed to show how the matter personally affected him.
The Attorney General of the Federation, also represented in the matter, aligned with Jonathan’s position and urged the court to strike out the suit in its entirety.
However, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, opposed the objections, arguing that the suit raises important constitutional questions and should be heard on its merit.
He also maintained that being a registered voter was not a requirement to file the action.
The court is expected to deliver judgment on all pending applications, including the request for the judge’s recusal, on May 26.
