Ex-president Jonathan eligible — Abuja court dismisses suit challenging 2027 presidential bid
Goodluck Jonathan
Abdullateef Fowewe
A Federal High Court in Abuja has on Tuesday dismissed a suit seeking to bar former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, ruling the plaintiff lacked the legal right to bring the action.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that JohnMary Jideobi, who filed the suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025), had not suffered any legal loss or injury flowing from Jonathan’s alleged intention to run and therefore lacked locus standi.
The judge described the suit as “an abuse of court process.”
Justice Lifu also noted that earlier decisions — including rulings from a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal — had held that Jonathan was eligible to contest, saying those judgments subsist and bind his court.
He further dismissed a motion by Jideobi seeking the judge’s recusal as frivolous.
The court awarded damages against the plaintiff: N20 million in favour of the former president and N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In his originating process, Jideobi had asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate for the 2027 election or any future presidential contest.
Jideobi argued that Jonathan had already served the constitutionally permitted two terms — first completing the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure and later serving a full term after the 2011 elections.
Justice Lifu’s ruling leaves intact previous appellate findings on Jonathan’s eligibility and represents the latest judicial outcome in ongoing legal questions over the former president’s potential candidacy.
