Former President Goodluck Jonathan is set to appear at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday in a lawsuit challenging his eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election. The suit, filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, argues that Jonathan has already served two terms as president, making him ineligible under the Nigerian Constitution. He assumed office on May 6, 2010, after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and served a full term after winning the 2011 election. The plaintiff, supported by an affidavit from Emmanuel Agida, contends that completing Yar'Adua's term and a full elected term exhausts the constitutional two-term limit.
Jonathan is named as the first defendant, with INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation listed as second and third defendants. Justice Peter Lifu ordered on April 28 that hearing notices be served after the defendants missed the deadline to file responses. The plaintiff is asking the court to stop Jonathan from offering himself as a candidate and to bar INEC from accepting or publishing his name. Despite the legal challenge, sources told SaharaReporters that Jonathan plans to appear in court on Friday and then declare his intention to run in 2027, including the party he intends to represent. Jonathan, who was president from 2011 to 2015 under the PDP, lost to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. On Thursday, he told a group of youths urging him to run that the presidential race is not a "computer game" and that he would consult widely before deciding.
Jonathan faces a court over claims he has already served two presidential terms, yet plans to declare a 2027 run the same day. His appearance in court challenges the legal basis of his eligibility, while the planned announcement undermines the seriousness of the constitutional question. Nigerians named in the suit, including those who filed it, now face a direct contradiction between legal process and political ambition. The move puts constitutional clarity on the same timeline as political spectacle.
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