A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed Friday, May 8, for the hearing of a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The case was instituted by a legal practitioner, Johnmary Jideobi, who is asking the court to declare the former president constitutionally ineligible to seek the nation’s highest office again.
In the suit, the plaintiff also prayed the court to restrain Jonathan from contesting under any political platform and bar the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting or publishing his name as a candidate for the election.
Jonathan, INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation were joined as defendants in the matter.
The plaintiff is seeking the court’s interpretation of provisions of Sections 1(1), 1(2), 1(3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution regarding Jonathan’s eligibility to contest for another presidential term.
According to the originating processes, Jonathan completed the unexpired tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua following his death in 2010 before subsequently winning the 2011 presidential election.
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Emmanuel Agida stated that growing speculations surrounding Jonathan’s possible return to the presidential race prompted the legal action.
The affidavit argued that the former president had already exhausted the constitutional limit permitted for anyone occupying the office of the president.
The deponent further warned that unless the court intervenes promptly, a political party could nominate Jonathan as its candidate for the 2027 election in alleged violation of the Constitution.
According to the affidavit, a successful return to office in 2027 would amount to Jonathan taking the presidential oath for a third time.
Agida maintained that the suit was filed in the public interest to protect constitutional supremacy, uphold the rule of law and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic framework.
