Court asked to stop Jonathan from contesting 2027 presidential election

The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, lawyer Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi urged the court to bar Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for nomination. He also asked the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and INEC were joined in the case as the 2nd and 3rd defendants.

The plaintiff argued that Jonathan, who first assumed office in May 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua before serving a full term after the 2011 election, has already exceeded the constitutional two-term limit.

He asked the court to declare Jonathan ineligible to run for president under Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which restricts anyone who completed another president’s tenure from seeking more than one elected term.

In an affidavit filed in support of the case, Jideobi maintained that allowing Jonathan to contest again would amount to breaching the Constitution. He argued that if Jonathan were sworn in after a 2027 victory, it would be the third time he would be taking the oath of office as president, thereby violating the constitutional maximum.

The lawyer further urged the court to compel the AGF to ensure compliance with any orders issued in the case.

No date has yet been fixed for the hearing.