ABUJA – Former President Goodluck Jonathan has officially moved to dismiss a legal attempt to disqualify him from the 2027 presidential election, describing the lawsuit as an “abuse of court process” and an unnecessary distraction.
In a dramatic turn at the Federal High Court in Abuja today Friday, legal representatives for the former president argued that the question of his eligibility had already been settled by previous judicial pronouncements.
The suit, filed by lawyer Johnmary Jide Obi (marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025), seeks to prevent Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate, citing constitutional term limits.
The crux of the plaintiff’s argument rests on Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates that a person who was sworn in to complete the term of a predecessor cannot be elected to the office of President more than once.
The plaintiff, Jide Obi, contends that:
Jonathan was sworn in on May 6, 2010, following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
He subsequently won the 2011 election and served a full four-year term.
Granting him another four years in 2027 would result in him serving a total of 10 years, exceeding the constitutional cap of eight years.
But Jonathan’s legal team, however, has urged Justice Peter Lifu to strike out the case maintaining that, the constitutional amendment limiting the tenure of those who succeed a president cannot be applied retrospectively to Jonathan’s previous service (2010–2015).
Legal experts supporting this position cite a 2022 Federal High Court judgment in Yenagoa, which ruled that Jonathan’s right to contest remains intact. They argued that because the amendment was signed into law after Jonathan left office, it cannot be used to strip him of his “vested rights” to seek a second elective term.
While the legal battle intensifies, Jonathan himself has maintained a measured public stance. Addressing youth groups in Abuja who recently urged him to run, the former president remarked: “You are asking me to come back and contest the next election. The presidential race is not a ‘computer game’. I have heard you, and I will consult widely.”
The presiding judge has fixed a date for further hearing, during which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), both joined as defendants are expected to state their positions.
As the 2027 political landscape begins to widened, the expected court ruling on the matter will serve as a definitive gatekeeper, determining whether the man who famously conceded power in 2015 to former late President Muhammadu Buhari’ will have one last shot at the Aso Rock Villa.
