Jonathan Asks Court To Dismiss Suit Seeking To Bar Him From 2027 Presidential Race
Jonathan Asks Court To Dismiss Suit Seeking To Bar Him From 2027 Presidential Race
Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), challenged the competence of the suit filed by Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, shortly after the matter came up before Justice Peter Lifu on Friday.
Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking to stop him from contesting the 2027 presidential election amid growing speculation over his possible return to active politics.
Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), challenged the competence of the suit filed by Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, shortly after the matter came up before Justice Peter Lifu on Friday.
The former president’s legal team informed the court that it had already filed a conditional appearance, a notice of preliminary objection, counter affidavit and written address on May 5, 2026, urging the court to throw out the case.
According to Uche, Jonathan’s camp only became aware of the suit through media reports, forcing them to urgently respond because of the sensitive nature of the matter bordering on the ex-president’s eligibility to contest the next presidential election.
The senior advocate described the suit as unnecessary and legally defective, arguing that the issue had already been decided by the courts in previous cases up to the Court of Appeal.
Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, told the court that the case was originally scheduled for mention but that he had just been served with Jonathan’s processes in court and would require time to respond.
Following submissions by both parties, Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until May 11 for hearing of Jonathan’s objection as well as the substantive suit.
The judge also ordered that hearing notices be served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), who are listed as the second and third defendants in the matter but were absent from court proceedings.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi is asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for the purpose of contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The lawyer also prayed the court to stop INEC from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a duly nominated presidential candidate.
The legal battle is coming amid increasing political speculation surrounding Jonathan’s possible return to presidential politics.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the former president was likely to formally join the 2027 presidential race after hinting at a possible comeback while addressing a group of young Nigerians who urged him to contest.
“He has already hinted at joining the race and it may happen as early as tomorrow,” a source familiar with the development told SaharaReporters on Thursday that Jonathan might announce his decision to join the race on Friday.
There were also indications that Jonathan might align with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), although this could not be independently verified at the time.
The development followed the recent defection of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the NDC.
While responding to calls for him to contest in 2027, Jonathan had cautioned that presidential ambition was not something to be taken lightly.
“Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely. But the most important thing is in Nigeria, that the young people will have hope,” he said on Thursday.
The former president also urged Nigerian youths to remain patriotic and actively participate in the democratic process, stressing that peaceful and credible elections were essential for national progress.
Jonathan lamented the growing “Japa” trend among young Nigerians, warning that continued mass migration reflected deeper governance failures and the loss of hope among the country’s youth population.
He further challenged young Nigerians clamouring for his return to first obtain their voter cards and participate actively in elections.
“As young people, you must be involved in the electoral process. If I ask how many of you have your voter cards now, probably 50% of you don’t even have a voter’s card,” he said.
“And you’re asking me to go and contest elections. So you must participate in the electoral process.”
