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A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election, ending fresh legal attempts to stop his possible return to Nigeria’s highest office.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the ruling on Tuesday, dismissing a suit filed against the former president and describing the case as an abuse of court process.
The judgement now clears the path for Jonathan to seek the presidency again if he decides to officially enter the race ahead of the 2027 general election.
The legal battle followed recent political developments within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where a faction reportedly led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki granted Jonathan a waiver to contest on the party’s presidential platform.
However, a plaintiff identified as Johnmary Jideobi approached the court seeking an order preventing Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a presidential candidate.
The plaintiff also asked the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name for the 2027 election.
According to the suit, Jonathan was allegedly ineligible because he had already taken the presidential oath twice after serving as president in 2010 and 2011.
But Justice Lifu disagreed with the argument and ruled that the former president remains constitutionally qualified to contest.
The judge stated that both a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had earlier ruled on Jonathan’s eligibility, adding that he was bound by those decisions.
Justice Lifu also held that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to file the suit because he failed to show how he personally suffered any harm from Jonathan’s possible ambition.
In a strong reaction to the case, the judge awarded ₦20 million against the plaintiff in favour of Goodluck Jonathan.
An additional ₦1 million fine was also awarded against the plaintiff in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The court further dismissed an application seeking Justice Lifu’s withdrawal from the matter, describing it as frivolous.
The ruling is expected to spark fresh political conversations across the country, especially as speculation continues to grow over whether Jonathan may officially join the 2027 presidential contest.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has remained a prominent political figure both locally and internationally since leaving office.
So far, the former president has not publicly declared his intention to run in 2027.
Source: Federal High Court Abuja
