Court Asked to Stop Jonathan From Contesting 2027 Presidential Election

A suit has been filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to bar former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

In the suit, the plaintiff urged the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for nomination as a presidential candidate. The plaintiff equally sought an order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a duly nominated candidate for the 2027 presidential poll.

According to court documents, former President Jonathan was listed as the first defendant, while INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) were cited as the second and third defendants, respectively.

The suit, which was filed on Monday, is anchored on the argument that Jonathan, having already been elected and sworn in as Nigeria’s President in 2011, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term in office under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The plaintiff contended that allowing Jonathan to contest again would amount to violating Section 137(3) of the Constitution, which restricts a person from being elected to the office of the President more than twice.

It would be recalled that Jonathan first assumed office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and was subsequently elected President in 2011.

He, however, lost his re-election bid in 2015 to then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari.

The case is expected to raise fresh constitutional debates over eligibility and term limits as the country moves closer to the 2027 general elections.

The court has yet to fix a date for hearing.