A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, ruling that there is no constitutional barrier preventing him from running again.
The case was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who argued that Jonathan would violate constitutional term limits if allowed to seek office again. He asked the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate under any political party and also sought an order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing his name as a presidential candidate.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that the matter had already been settled by previous court decisions, including rulings by the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility. The judge described the suit as frivolous and an abuse of court process.
The court also ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the case and awarded financial penalties against him. Justice Lifu ordered Jideobi to pay ₦20 million in costs to Jonathan and an additional ₦1 million to the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Jonathan became president in 2010 following the death of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later won the 2011 presidential election, serving until 2015. The debate over his eligibility has continued for years because he completed part of Yar’Adua’s tenure before serving a full elected term.
The judgment comes amid renewed speculation about Jonathan’s possible return to active politics ahead of the 2027 elections. Recent reports also indicated that a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party endorsed him as its preferred presidential candidate for 2027, although Jonathan has not officially declared his intention to run.