A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 general election.
Justice Peter Lifu made the declaration while delivering judgment in a suit seeking to bar Jonathan from participating in future presidential elections, having taken the oath of office twice as president.
It will be recalled that Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), last week offered Jonathan a waiver as the party’s sole presidential candidate.
Also recall that one Johnmary Jideobi had instituted a suit seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiff had earlier asked the court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
He asked the court to determine whether, having regard to Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remains eligible to seek the office of president again.
But in his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that Jonathan could participate in the election as a contestant.
According to Lifu, the suit was a waste of the court’s precious time because both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal have already resolved the eligibility of Jonathan.
“I am bound by the above decision of the Court of Appeal and this court, I have no more to add”, Lifu said.
He also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi and in favour of the ex-president.
He also awarded a fine of one million against the plaintiff and in favor of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived intention of Jonathan to vie for the next year’s poll.
The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the appellate court’s decision.
The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process.”
Justice Lifu also dismissed the Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivolous.
