2027: Court urged to stop Jonathan from contesting presidential election

Jonathan

The Federal High Court in Abuja has been urged to restrain former President Goodluck Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in the country for the purpose of contesting the 2027 presidential election.

The request forms part of the reliefs being sought in suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/ 2025, filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi.

The plaintiff is equally praying the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a duly nominated candidate of any political party for the purpose of contesting the next presidential election.

Listed defendants in the suit are Jonathan, INEC, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

The plaintiff raised a sole question for the determination of the court – Whether in view of the combined provisions of the entirety of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution and their conflated interpretation, the first defendant (Jonathan) is eligible, under any circumstances [whatsoever] to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Jideobi, who is seeking about five reliefs, wants the court to also declare that upon an intimate reading and complete understanding of the entirety of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the Constitution, Jonathan “is ineligible to stand for or occupy the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He equally wants a declaration that in view of the entirety of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the Constitution INEC lacks the constitutional power to receive from any political party the name of the first defendant or publish same as the candidate of any political party for the election into the office of the president in 2027 and other years to come.

The plaintiff stated, in a supporting affidavit, that Jonathan was first sworn in as President on May 6, 2010, following the death of then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on May 5, 2010, having previously been the Vice-President.