By DAYO ADESULU
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, ruling that previous court judgments had already settled the issue of his constitutional eligibility.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu struck out the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, describing it as lacking merit. The court also slammed the plaintiff with a N20 million fine.
The suit was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who asked the court to issue a perpetual injunction preventing Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for the purpose of contesting the 2027 presidential election. He also sought an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
However, the court held that earlier judgments delivered by the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and later affirmed by the Court of Appeal had already addressed the matter, thereby making the fresh suit unnecessary.
Officials of INEC were present in court during the judgment, which is expected to intensify political conversations surrounding Jonathan’s possible return to active politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
Jonathan’s legal team, led by senior advocate Chris Uche (SAN), had earlier urged the court to dismiss the case. According to Uche, the former president only became aware of the suit through media reports and immediately filed a conditional appearance, preliminary objection, counter affidavit, and written address challenging the competence of the action.
The lawyer argued that the matter had long been settled by superior courts and described the fresh litigation as legally defective and unnecessary.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, had informed the court that he was only served with Jonathan’s legal processes during proceedings and requested more time to respond.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and INEC, who were listed as defendants in the matter, were absent during the proceedings despite earlier hearing notices issued by the court.
The judgment comes amid growing speculation that Jonathan may return to the presidential race in 2027. The former president recently hinted at a possible comeback while speaking to a group of young Nigerians who appealed to him to contest.
Responding to the calls, Jonathan cautioned that seeking the presidency was a serious undertaking.
“Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely. The most important thing is that young Nigerians must have hope,” he said.
Meanwhile, the interim leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party reportedly granted Jonathan an automatic ticket for the 2027 presidential election, exempting him from the party’s screening and nomination procedures.
The announcement was made during the PDP presidential screening exercise in Abuja, where former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu disclosed that the party had adopted a special consideration for the former president as part of efforts to reposition the PDP ahead of the next general election.
The development has further fueled political debate over Jonathan’s potential return to Nigeria’s top office nearly two decades after he first emerged on the national stage.
