A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The judgment follows a suit filed by Johnmary Jideobi, who had sought to stop Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate in the upcoming poll.
The plaintiff also asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting, processing, or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
Jideobi had urged the court to determine whether, in line with Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remained qualified to seek the office of President again.
Meanwhile, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki had recently offered Jonathan a waiver, positioning him as its preferred presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that Jonathan is not barred from participating in the presidential race and can validly contest the election.
