From Victor Osula, Abuja
A lawyer, Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi is asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself for nomination under any political party.
He also urged the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
Joined in the suit as defendants are Jonathan (first defendant), INEC (second defendant), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (third defendant).
The lawyer based his argument on Sections 1(1)–(3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), contending that Jonathan, having completed the unexpired tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later served a full four-year term, had twice taken the presidential oath and therefore exhausted the constitutional limit of two terms.
In an affidavit deposed to by Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff said the suit was in the public interest, stressing that allowing Jonathan to contest again would breach the Constitution.
“If Jonathan is allowed to contest and win, he would be taking the presidential oath for the third time, which the Constitution clearly forbids,” the affidavit stated.
The plaintiff further prayed the court to declare that INEC lacked the constitutional authority to accept or publish Jonathan’s name as a candidate and to compel the Attorney-General of the Federation to ensure compliance with the court’s decision.
While the court has yet to fix a date for hearing, THISAGE recalls that in May 2022, the Federal High Court in Yenagoa (Suit No. FHC/YNG/CS/86/2022) ruled that Jonathan was constitutionally eligible to contest future elections, holding that his assumption of office in 2010 followed the death of Yar’Adua and did not count as an elected term.
