A legal practitioner, Johnmary Jideobi, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to prevent former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting in the 2027 presidential election.
In the case filed under number FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi named Jonathan as the first defendant, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the second, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as the third defendant.
The lawyer is asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction barring Jonathan from presenting himself as a presidential candidate under any political party and to restrain INEC from recognizing or publishing his name as a validly nominated candidate for the 2027 election.
According to an affidavit sworn by Emmanuel Agida on behalf of the plaintiff, Jideobi described himself as an advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law.
He argued that if Jonathan were allowed to contest and win the 2027 election—which would span from 2027 to 2031—it would violate the 1999 Constitution, as amended, by exceeding the constitutionally permitted maximum of eight years in office for a Nigerian president.
Jideobi urged the court to determine whether Jonathan remains constitutionally eligible to contest for the presidency, citing Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
The lawyer is seeking four key declarations, including:
- A declaration that based on the correct interpretation of the Constitution, Jonathan cannot legally contest or occupy the office of the President again.
- A declaration that INEC lacks the authority to accept or publish Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate for the 2027 election or any subsequent one.
- An order of perpetual injunction preventing Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for nomination as a presidential candidate.
- A directive compelling the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce any judgment or orders made by the court regarding the matter.
There have recently been renewed calls from opposition figures urging Jonathan to run again in 2027. However, the former president has not publicly declared his intention to contest.
Last week, the Presidency issued a statement reacting to the speculations, saying that although Jonathan was free to contest, he would still be judged by what it described as his “poor record in office.”
