The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled Tuesday, May 26, to deliver its judgment on a high-stakes lawsuit challenging the eligibility of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, fixed the date on Monday after all participating parties adopted their respective briefs of argument.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, calls for a definitive interpretation of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution to determine whether the former leader can legally vie for the nation’s highest office under any circumstances.
In an affidavit of facts deposed by Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff—an Abuja-based lawyer—argued that a Jonathan victory in 2027 would violate statutory term limits.
The prosecution contends that because Jonathan completed the unexpired term of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full four-year term following the 2011 election, he has already exhausted the constitutional limit of two tenures.
The plaintiff maintained that a return to office from 2027 to 2031 would mean Jonathan would exceed the cumulative maximum of eight years permitted for a Nigerian president, marking an unprecedented third time he would take the presidential oath of office.
To prevent this, the lawsuit seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for nomination, alongside a mandate barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing his name as a candidate for the 2027 polls and beyond.
Additionally, the plaintiff is asking the court to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to ensure strict compliance with any orders arising from the case.
Fiercely opposing the suit, both former President Jonathan and the AGF urged the court to dismiss the action entirely and award substantial costs against the plaintiff.
The defense also successfully fought back against a motion seeking the recusal of Justice Lifu on grounds of alleged bias, while INEC conspicuously shunned the legal action by failing to provide any legal representation.
Justice Lifu ultimately ruled that the court’s decision on these preliminary objections will be delivered alongside the final judgment on the 26th day of May.
