JUST-IN: Jonathan Eligible To Contest 2027 Presidential Election — Court

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has cleared the coast for former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Last week, the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gave a waiver to Jonathan to contest the 2027 poll on the presidential ticket of the party.

However, a plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi, had filed a suit challenging the eligibility of the former President to contest the election.

In the suit, he sought an order of the court restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

The plaintiff had earlier asked the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.

He asked the court to determine whether, having regard to Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remains eligible to seek the office of president again having been sworn in twice as President in 2010 and 2011.

But, in his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Lifu held that Jonathan could participate in the election as a contestant.

He also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi and in favour of the ex-president.

He equally awarded a N1million fine against the plaintiff and in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for office in the next year’s polls.

The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.

The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process.”

Justice Lifu also dismissed the Jideobi’s motion, seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivolous.