A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, effectively leaving the door open for his possible return to the race.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that the suit filed by Johnmary Jideobi was without merit and amounted to an abuse of court process.
The judge further ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to bring the action before the court, noting that he failed to demonstrate any direct personal interest that would be affected by Jonathan’s potential participation in the election.
Justice Lifu also ordered the plaintiff to pay a total of N21 million in costs, N20 million to Jonathan and N1 million to the Attorney General of the Federation, describing the case as frivolous and an unnecessary use of judicial time.
According to the court, the matter had already been addressed in previous rulings, including Andy Solomon v. Jonathan at the Federal High Court and Cyracus Njoku v. Jonathan at the Court of Appeal, which were cited as binding guidance.
The judge added that he had “nothing else to add,” aligning his decision with those earlier judgments.
He also expressed concern that both the plaintiff and his legal counsel proceeded with the case despite being aware of prior decisions on the same constitutional issue.
The suit, filed in October 2025, had asked the court to determine whether Jonathan remains eligible to contest the presidency in 2027 under Nigeria’s Constitution.
The plaintiff argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional two-term limit under Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
He maintained that Jonathan’s time in office included completing the tenure of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua between 2010 and 2011, followed by a full elected term after the 2011 presidential election.
Jideobi had urged the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate and to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing his name for the 2027 election or any future presidential contest.
He also sought an order compelling the Attorney General of the Federation to enforce the injunction if granted.
During proceedings, the plaintiff’s counsel insisted that Jonathan had served more than two terms and was therefore constitutionally barred from another run.
Jonathan, INEC, and the Attorney General of the Federation were all named as defendants in the suit.
