The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election or any future presidential race in Nigeria.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from “presenting himself to any political party in Nigeria for nomination as its candidate” for the 2027 poll or any future election.
Jideobi also wants the court to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate, and to direct 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.
In his supporting affidavit, deposed to by one Emmanuel Agida, the plaintiff described himself as an “advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law.” He argued that Jonathan, having completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full four-year term after winning the 2011 election, had already exhausted the constitutional limit of two terms.
Jideobi said he filed the suit after reading reports in the media about Jonathan’s alleged plan to contest again in 2027. Citing Section 137(3) of the Constitution, he contended that allowing the former president to run would breach the supreme law of the land.
He recalled that Jonathan was sworn in on 6 May 2010 to complete the tenure of the late President Yar’Adua, who died on 5 May 2010. Jonathan 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 maintained that the suit was filed in the public interest and prayed the court to declare that Jonathan “is ineligible to stand for or occupy the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” and that INEC lacks the constitutional power to accept or publish his name as a candidate in any presidential election.
He also sought 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.
