Former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Monday urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a motion seeking the withdrawal of Justice Peter Lifu from hearing a suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The motion for recusal was filed by the plaintiff, lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who is also asking the court to bar Jonathan from participating in the 2027 presidential race.
He alleged bias on the part of the presiding judge and urged him to step aside from the matter.
However, both Jonathan and the AGF, through their legal representatives, strongly opposed the application, describing it as baseless, frivolous, and an abuse of court process.
Counsel to the former president, Chris Uche (SAN), told the court that the application lacked merit and was founded on misrepresentation of facts, urging Justice Lifu to discountenance it in its entirety.
He further urged the court to not only dismiss the motion but also award substantial costs against the applicant for what he described as an attempt to delay proceedings.
Similarly, the Attorney-General of the Federation, represented by the Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law at the Federal Ministry of Justice,
Maimuna Lami-Shiru, aligned with Jonathan’s position, arguing that while judges retain the discretion to recuse themselves where impartiality may be questioned, the present application failed to meet any legal threshold.
She described the motion as an abuse of judicial process and asked the court to dismiss it with ₦2 million costs in favour of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
In her submission, Lami-Shiru maintained that the application was not supported by any credible legal basis and violated established principles guiding recusal requests, insisting that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”
In the substantive suit, both Jonathan and the AGF equally asked the court to dismiss the case challenging the former president’s eligibility to contest the 2027 election, also with substantial costs.
After hearing arguments from all parties, Justice Peter Lifu reserved ruling on the recusal motion and adjourned the matter until May 26, 2026, for judgment.
The case continues to attract national attention as it raises fresh legal questions around eligibility, judicial conduct, and pre-election litigation ahead of the 2027 general polls.
‘
‘Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
Leave a comment