A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing attempts to stop him from re-entering the race.
The judgment, delivered on Tuesday by Justice Peter Lifu, followed a suit filed by one Johnmary Jideobi seeking to bar Jonathan from presenting himself as a presidential candidate under any political party platform.
The plaintiff had asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Jideobi also urged the court to determine whether Jonathan remained constitutionally qualified to seek the presidency again, citing Sections 1(1), 1(2), 1(3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
However, Justice Lifu held in his ruling that the former president was not barred from contesting the election and could lawfully participate in the 2027 presidential race.
The development comes barely days after a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, reportedly offered Jonathan a waiver and adopted him as the party’s sole presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 polls.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president between 2010 and 2015, has yet to publicly declare interest in the race despite growing political pressure and speculations surrounding his possible return.
