Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday formally opposed a lawsuit seeking to prevent him from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Jonathan’s counsel, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja that the former president had already filed the necessary legal processes challenging the suit.
According to Uche, the defence submitted a conditional appearance, preliminary objection, counter-affidavit and written address on May 5, urging the court to strike out the case.
He explained that Jonathan’s legal team acted swiftly after learning about the matter through media reports.
Uche argued that the case centres on the former president’s eligibility to seek office again in 2027, insisting that the issue had already been settled by the courts, including the Court of Appeal.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, however, told the court that he had only just received Jonathan’s response and needed time to study the documents and file a reply.
Following the submissions, Justice Lifu adjourned proceedings until May 11 for hearing on both the preliminary objection and the substantive suit.
The judge also directed that hearing notices be served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation, both of whom were absent in court.
The suit was instituted by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who is asking the court to permanently stop Jonathan from participating in the 2027 presidential race.
Specifically, the plaintiff requested an order restraining the former president from presenting himself to any political party as a presidential candidate.
He also asked the court to prevent INEC from recognising or publishing Jonathan’s name as a validly nominated candidate.
Filed on October 6, 2025, the suit lists Jonathan as the first defendant, while INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation were joined as co-defendants.
At the heart of the legal dispute is whether Jonathan, having taken the oath of office twice as president, remains constitutionally eligible to contest another election under Sections 1 and 137(3) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The plaintiff maintained that INEC lacks the constitutional authority to accept Jonathan’s nomination for the 2027 election or any future presidential contest.
He further sought an order compelling the Attorney-General of the Federation “to ensure compliance with the decisions and orders of this court.”
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Emmanuel Agida described the plaintiff as a defender of constitutionalism and the rule of law who approached the court to prevent what he called a possible constitutional violation.
The affidavit recalled that Jonathan first assumed office as president on May 6, 2010, following the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, after previously serving as vice-president. It also noted that he later won the 2011 presidential election and completed a full term.
According to the affidavit, recent media reports suggested that Jonathan may be considering a return to the presidential race in 2027.
The plaintiff argued that by completing Yar’Adua’s unexpired tenure and later serving a full elected term, Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit of two terms in office.
“That if the court does not intervene timeously, a political party may present the 1st defendant as its presidential candidate in the 2027 general election, thereby breaching the Constitution.”
He also argued that Jonathan could eventually contest and even win the election if the court failed to intervene, which he said could trigger constitutional disputes over presidential tenure limits and eligibility.
On the issue of legal standing, the plaintiff insisted that, as a lawyer, he had a responsibility to prevent constitutional breaches and defend the rule of law, stressing that the case was filed in the public interest.
He urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought in order to protect the supremacy of the Constitution and preserve Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
