A lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election or any future presidential race in Nigeria.
In his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi prays for a perpetual order to restrain the former president from “presenting himself to any political party in Nigeria for nomination as its candidate” for the 2027 poll or any future election.
He also asked the court to refrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate, and to order the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to ensure compliance with the court’s decision. INEC and the AGF are listed as the second and third defendants.
One Emmanuel Agida who deposed to an affidavit in support of the petitioner, Jideobi said he is an “advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law,” adding thatt Jonathan has completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full four-year term after winning the 2011 election, and therefore has already exhausted the constitutional limit of two terms.
Jideobi cited Section 137(3) of the Constitution, and argued that if Jonathan contest in the next election, he would breach the constitution.
He said Jonathan was sworn in on 6 May 2010 to complete the tenure of the late President Yar’Adua, who died on 5 May 2010, adding that the former preside was later elected in 2011 and sworn in on 27 May of that year, serving until 2015.
“I know that if the first defendant eventually wins the forthcoming 2027 general election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria—which is for a term of four years spanning 2027 to 2031—he will have exceeded eight years being the cumulative maximum years a Nigerian President is to stay in office,” Jideobi said.
He the suit was in public interest and urged the court to declare that Jonathan “is ineligible to stand for or occupy the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” adding that the INEC has no legality to accept or publish his name as a candidate in any presidential election.
The litigant also wants an order directing the AGF to enforce any order the court may make in the matter. “It will be in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to grant the prayers contained on the face of this originating summons,” the affidavit reads.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
