A lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi asked the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for nomination as its presidential candidate in 2027 or in any future election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) are also listed as second and third defendants in the suit.
The plaintiff is further seeking an order barring INEC from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate and directing the AGF to ensure full compliance with the court’s eventual decision.
In a supporting affidavit deposed by one Emmanuel Agida, Jideobi, who described himself as an “advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law,” argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit of two terms.
He explained that Jonathan first became president on May 6, 2010, following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and later won a full four-year tenure after the 2011 election.
Citing Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the lawyer argued that Jonathan is disqualified from seeking election again.
“The plaintiff knows that the 1st defendant was indeed, on the 6th May, 2010, sworn in as President to complete the term for which the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was elected. The 1st defendant was subsequently elected in 2011 and sworn in on the 27th May, 2011,” the affidavit reads.
“I know that if the 1st defendant eventually wins the 2027 general election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he will have exceeded eight years, which is the cumulative maximum years a Nigerian President can stay in office.”
Jideobi told the court he approached it after reports surfaced in the media suggesting that Jonathan was considering another shot at the presidency in 2027.
He 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 publish his name in any presidential ballot.
“It will be in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to grant the prayers contained on the face of this Originating Summons,” he added.
No date has yet been fixed for hearing of the matter.
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