Abuja Court Clears Goodluck Jonathan to Run in 2027 Election

A Federal High Court in Abuja has cleared former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing a lawsuit that challenged his constitutional eligibility. Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Tuesday, describing the suit as frivolous and an abuse of the court process.

The case was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who argued that Jonathan, having been sworn into the presidency on two previous occasions, is constitutionally barred from seeking the office again. Jideobi specifically cited sections of the 1999 Constitution, contending that if Jonathan were to win and serve a term from 2027 to 2031, he would exceed the maximum of eight years in office. He sought court orders to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate and to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting his nomination.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu ruled that Jideobi lacked the legal standing, or locus standi, to bring the case, having not demonstrated any personal loss from Jonathan’s potential candidacy. The judge also stated he was bound by previous rulings from a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and...