Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has delivered a landmark judgment clearing former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, dismissing a suit that sought to bar him from the race on grounds that he had already taken the presidential oath of office twice and was therefore constitutionally ineligible. Justice Peter Lifu, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, held that Jonathan remained eligible to participate in the 2027 election, stating that the plaintiff lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit having not suffered any personal loss or injury arising from Jonathan's perceived intention to contest the next poll.
The suit was filed by an Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, who argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit for the office of president, having completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua after Yar'Adua's death in May 2010 before serving another full term following his election victory in 2011. Jideobi contended that allowing Jonathan to contest again would violate the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. However, Justice Lifu ruled that the suit was without merit and constituted an abuse of court process. The judge noted that the plaintiff failed to establish any personal injury or loss that he had suffered as a result of Jonathan's potential candidacy, and therefore lacked the locus standi to bring the action.
In a dramatic twist, the court also imposed a fine of N21 million on the plaintiff. Justice Lifu awarded N20 million of the fine in favour of Jonathan and N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). The ruling clears a major legal hurdle for the former president, who had been projected by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its sole presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election. The Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the PDP had awarded Jonathan an automatic ticket to contest the presidential election and granted him a waiver from screening.
Following the court's decision, Jonathan is now free to pursue his presidential ambition. However, his aides have repeatedly stated that no evidence shows he has purchased nomination forms or made a formal declaration of his intention to run. Speaking on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Jude Imagwe, a Special Adviser to former President Jonathan, said his principal had not bought presidential nomination forms and that there was no suggested evidence that the former president had obtained the form. He noted that any such claims were being made by individuals without any official mandate from the former president. The former president himself has consistently stated that he would consult widely before making a final decision on the race. Meanwhile, the faction of the PDP under the leadership of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has also released its own timetable for the presidential primary, indicating that the former president is yet to purchase forms from them.
The court's ruling has added a new layer of complexity to the 2027 political landscape. With the legal barrier removed, political stakeholders are now waiting to see whether the former president will formally declare his intention. The judgment has also reignited debate over the interpretation of the constitutional provisions regarding presidential term limits. For now, the coast is clear for Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election if he so desires.
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