… It’s victory for constitutional democracy, rule of law — PDP
By Teddy Nwanunobi
Supporters of former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, yesterday, rejoiced as the Federal High Court in Abuja declared him eligible to participate in the 2027 presidential election.
This was even as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed the judgment affirming Jonathan’s eligibility to contest.
The presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment in a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, held that Jonathan could contest the election.
Jideobi had approached the court seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiff also sought to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission 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 remained eligible to seek the office of president again.
Jideobi, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, insisted that Jonathan was no longer eligible to run for the office of president, having already been sworn in as president on two occasions.
In an affidavit of facts deposed in support of the suit by one Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff argued that if ex-President Jonathan wins the 2027 presidential election, which is for a term of four years spanning 2027 to 2031, he would have exceeded eight years, being the cumulative maximum years a Nigerian president is statutorily permitted to stay in office.
“The plaintiff believes that the 1st defendant, having completed the unexpired term of late President Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full term after the 2011 election, has exhausted the constitutional limit of two tenures as president.
“That if the court does not intervene timeously, a political party may present the 1st defendant as its presidential candidate in the 2027 general election, thereby breaching the Constitution.
“In the event the 1st defendant is returned as elected and sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2027, it will mark the third time the 1st defendant will be taking the oath of office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
He also prayed the court for an order directing the third defendant (Attorney-General of the Federation) to ensure compliance with the decisions and orders of the court.
However, in his judgment, Justice Lifu awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi in favour of Jonathan.
The court additionally awarded a N1 million fine against the plaintiff in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to institute the suit, having not suffered any loss from Jonathan’s perceived intention to vie for the 2027 election.
The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and a Court of Appeal had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.
He described Jideobi’s suit as “an abuse of court process.”
Justice Lifu also dismissed Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case, describing it as frivolous.
Reacting to the ruling, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP’s Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, in a statement, on Tuesday, described the ruling as a victory for constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
The party said the court’s decision aligned with both legal principles and common sense, insisting that laws could not be applied retroactively.
“The Peoples Democratic Party has welcomed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, which held that President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest for the Presidency, despite having previously sworn to the oath of office of the President twice,” the statement read.
The PDP also criticised the suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility, describing it as unnecessary and politically motivated.
According to the party, the case amounted to “a gross abuse of court processes” and should never have been filed.
The opposition party further applauded the court for awarding punitive costs against the plaintiff, saying the decision would discourage individuals seeking to distract the democratic process through frivolous litigation.
“The punitive cost against the plaintiff is also very much welcomed, to serve as a deterrent to intending busybodies and irritants, who make themselves available for use by those seeking to derail democracy,” the party stated.
The PDP added that the judgment, alongside the screening waiver earlier granted to Jonathan by the party, had now cleared the way for what it described as his “presidential rescue mission” ahead of the party’s primaries scheduled for May 28, 2026.
Meanwhile, a faction of the PDP, led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, last week, offered a waiver to Jonathan as the party’s sole presidential candidate.