The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, held that there was no legal impediment preventing Jonathan from seeking a return to the presidency.
Justice Lifu held that the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been decided by the Court of Appeal.
He dismissed as frivolous and an abuse of court process the suit that was entered against the former president by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr Jideobi Johnmary.
According to the court, the plaintiff lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute the action.
The lawyer had, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, queried Jonathan’s eligibility on the premise that he had already been sworn in as president on two occasions.
He posed a lone question for the court to determine:
“Whether in view of the combined provisions of the entirety of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and their conflated interpretation, is the 1st Defendant eligible, under any circumstances [whatsoever], to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”
Vanguard