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Court Dismisses Suit Seeking to Bar Jonathan From 2027 Presidential Race
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, clearing what supporters describe as a major legal hurdle ahead of the race.
The suit, filed by Johnmary Jideobi, asked the court to declare Jonathan ineligible to run for president on the grounds that he had previously taken the presidential oath of office twice.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu upheld the preliminary objection raised by Jonathan’s counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), who argued that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the case and that the matter had already been decided in previous judgments.
The court reportedly agreed that the suit amounted to an abuse of court process, noting that similar cases on the same subject had earlier been determined by competent courts.
Reacting to the ruling, Hon. Fred Agbedi of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation described the judgment as a decisive victory that removes any legal impediment to Jonathan’s possible participation in the 2027 presidential election.
Agbedi said the ruling, combined with earlier judicial decisions on the matter, had effectively cleared the path for Jonathan to pursue his political ambitions despite ongoing internal crises within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
He called on Nigerians “to rally round the rescue mission” of the former president, warning that the country “must not be allowed to drift like a rudderless ship on the high sea.”