By John Azu
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 8 to hear a suit challenging the eligibility of of former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu had fixed the date on April 28 after directing that hearing notices be issued and served on the defendants, who were yet to file their responses.
An Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, who brought the action, is seeking a clarification on the constitutional eligibility of Jonathan to vie for the presidency again.
Jideobi prayed the court to issue an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 election.
He also sought an order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
Jonathan is listed as the first defendant in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, while INEC and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) are joined as second and third defendants, respectively.
He submits, among others, for a determination of “whether in view of the combined provisions of sections 1(1), (2) and (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the 1st defendant is eligible, under any circumstances whatsoever, to contest for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Jideobi argued that Jonathan had exhausted the constitutional limit allowed for a president, having completed the tenure of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua before serving another full term after the 2011 election.
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Emmanuel Agida, who deposed on behalf of the plaintiff, said Jonathan was sworn in as president on May 6, 2010, following Yar’Adua’s death a day earlier.
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