Lawyer asks court to stop Jonathan from contesting 2027 presidential election

A suit has been filed before a federal high court in Abuja seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Johnmary Jideobi, the plaintiff, is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from “presenting himself to any political party in Nigeria for nomination as its candidate” for the 2027 presidential poll or any future election.

He also wants the court to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate, and to direct the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) to ensure compliance with the court’s decision.

INEC and the AGF are listed as the second and third defendants in the suit.

The plaintiff is asking the court to determine “whether, in view of Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the 1st defendant is eligible, under any circumstances whatsoever, to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

In his supporting affidavit, deposed by one Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff described himself as an “advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law”.

He argued that Jonathan, having completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full four-year term after winning the 2011 election, has already exhausted the constitutional limit of two terms.

Jideobi said he filed the suit after seeing reports in the media about Jonathan’s alleged plan to contest again in 2027.

Citing aection 137(3) of the constitution, he contended that allowing the former president to run would amount to a breach of the constitution.

“As a Nigerian lawyer trained in Nigerian constitutional law, the plaintiff has come across a provision in the Nigerian constitution stating that a person who was sworn-in as president to complete the term for which another person was elected as President shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term,” the affidavits reads.

“The plaintiff knows that the 1st defendant was indeed, on the 6th May, 2010, sworn in as President to complete the term for which (former) President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was elected as president as a consequence of the demise of the former President on the 5th day of May, 2010.

“The 1st defendant, after being sworn in on 6th May, 2010, to complete the term of late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was subsequently elected into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and sworn in on the 27th May, 2011.

“I know that if the 1st defendant eventually wins the forthcoming 2027 general election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (which is for a term of 4 years spanning 2027 to 2031), he will have exceeded 8 years being the cumulative maximum years a Nigerian President is to stay in office.”

Jideobi also claimed that the action is in the public interest.

He prayed the court to declare that Jonathan “is ineligible to stand for or occupy the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, and that INEC lacks the constitutional power to accept or publish his name as a candidate in any presidential election.

Jideobi further prayed for a perpetual injunction restraining both Jonathan and INEC from taking any step that could make him a presidential candidate in 2027 or beyond.

He also sought an order directing the AGF to enforce any order the court may make in the matter.

No date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.