2027: Coast clear for Jonathan as court throws out eligibility case

A Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out a suit seeking to bar former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, while imposing a N21 million penalty on the lawyer who filed the case.

Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi, lacked the legal standing to institute the action because he failed to show how Jonathan’s possible ambition affected him personally.

The court awarded N20 million damages against the lawyer in favour of Jonathan and an additional N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Justice Lifu held that courts had already settled the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility. He noted that both the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had affirmed that the former president could contest again, adding that the appellate court’s decision remained binding.

The judge described the suit as an abuse of court process and dismissed it in its entirety.

He also rejected an application filed by the plaintiff seeking his withdrawal from the matter, describing the request as frivolous.

Jideobi had dragged Jonathan, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation before the court over the former president’s eligibility for the 2027 poll.