The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, has adjourned the hearing of a suit seeking to disqualify former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election or any future presidential elections to Friday, May 15.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, was filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who asked the court to declare Mr Jonathan constitutionally ineligible to seek the country’s apex position, having been sworn in as president twice, in 2010 and 2011.

Mr Jonathan is listed as the first defendant in the suit, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation are named as second and third defendants, respectively.

 However, during the proceedings on Monday, the plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, and INEC did not appear in court for the second consecutive time.

When the case was called, Mr Jonathan’s lawyer asked the trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, to strike out the case because the plaintiff (Jideobi) and the second defendant (INEC) had been absent in court on two consecutive occasions. 

Mr Lifu, however, declined the request by Mr Jonathan’s lawyer, stating that they should be served a notice for the last time, for the sake of a fair hearing.

Mr Jonathan had confirmed last Thursday that he would begin consultations on whether he should join the 2027 presidential race.

Mr Jideobi is seeking an order restraining Mr Jonathan from further presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for any presidential election in Nigeria.

He argued that Mr Jonathan had exhausted the constitutional limit on an individual’s time in office as president after being sworn in to complete the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently sworn in to serve a full four-year term following the 2011 election.

The lawyer also asked the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing the former president’s name as a presidential candidate.

In the suit, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether, based on Sections 1(1), (2), (3), and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Mr Jonathan remains eligible, under any circumstances, to further contest Nigeria’s presidency.

The lawyer further argued that, unless the court intervenes, any political party could nominate Mr Jonathan for the election in violation of constitutional provisions.

An affidavit filed in support of the suit by Emmanuel Agida stated that Mr Jonathan assumed office as president on May 6, 2010, after Mr Yar’Adua died a day earlier.

Mr Agida noted that reports suggesting Mr Jonathan may be interested in the 2027 presidential election informed the decision to seek clarification from the court.

The affidavit noted that if Mr Jonathan were to contest and win a presidential election, he would take the presidential oath of office for the third time.

Mr Agida maintained that the suit was filed in the public interest and to uphold the supremacy of the constitution and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional order.

“The plaintiff believes that the first defendant, having completed the unexpired term of late President Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full term after the 2011 election, has exhausted the constitutional limit of two tenures as president,” the affidavit said.