Federal High Court Clears Goodluck Jonathan for 2027 Presidential Race
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, has officially affirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan is constitutionally eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election. In a judgment delivered earlier today, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, the court dismissed the suit seeking to disqualify him, declaring there are no legal impediments to his participation in the polls.
The suit, filed by legal practitioner Johnmary Jideobi, had argued that Jonathan had already exhausted his two-term limit by serving the unexpired term of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and completing a full four-year term following the 2011 election. The plaintiff contended that a 2027 victory would result in a third term, violating the 1999 Constitution.
However, Justice Lifu rejected these arguments on several grounds. The court ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the action, as he failed to demonstrate that he had suffered any personal injury from the former president’s potential candidacy. Furthermore, the judge emphasized that the matter of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been definitively settled by previous judicial decisions, making the suit an abuse of court process.
The court took a firm stance against the nature of the litigation, imposing significant financial penalties on the plaintiff, including a N20 million fine payable to the former president and a N1 million fine payable to the Attorney-General of the Federation. This ruling effectively settles the ongoing legal debate regarding Jonathan’s political future, clearing the path for him to participate in the upcoming general elections should he choose to run.
