2027: Court fixes date to hear suit seeking Jonathan’s disqualification

The Federal High Court in Abuja has announced the date for the hearing of a suit seeking to restrain former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

The matter, which was scheduled for mention on the day’s cause list, was fixed for hearing on May 8, 2026, by Justice Peter Life.

Justice Life also ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on the defendants, who were yet to file their counter affidavits, before the hearing date.

A lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, had filed the case, praying the court to bar Jonathan from contesting in the 2027 general election.

Citing constitutional grounds, Jideobi urged the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in the country for the purpose of contesting in the poll.

He also urged the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting from any political party, Jonathan’s name or publishing same as a duly nominated candidate for the election.

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Jideobi, in the suit dated and filed on October 6, 2025, the lawyer joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as second and third defendants, respectively.

“Whether in view of the combined provisions of the entirety Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and their conflated interpretation, the first defendant is eligible, under any circumstances [whatsoever] to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?” the lawyer stated.

Citing Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Jideobi argued that INEC lacks the constitutional power to receive from any political party the name of Jonathan for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria holding in 2027 and other years to come.