A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday adjourned until May 11, 2026, a suit on the eligibility status of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2027 presidential election.
Presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu fixed the new date after counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, informed the court that he had only recently been served with a preliminary objection filed by the defence and required time to study and respond to it.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports the eligibility suit against Jonathan is seeking the court’s verdict on whether the former Nigerian leader can lawfully contest another presidential election under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
At the resumed proceedings, counsel to Jonathan, Chris Uche (SAN), told the court that he initially became aware of the matter through media reports and had since taken steps to ensure that all necessary legal processes on behalf of the former president were properly filed.
Uche also argued that similar issues surrounding Jonathan’s eligibility had previously been decided by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, questioning the basis for reopening the controversy.
Neither the Independent National Electoral Commission nor the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, listed as second and third respondents respectively, had legal representatives present in court.
Following submissions by parties, Justice Lifu ordered that hearing notices be properly served on all respondents before the next adjourned date.
The suit was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who is seeking a declaration that Jonathan is constitutionally barred from contesting for the office of president in 2027.
The plaintiff is also asking the court to restrain the former president from presenting himself to any political party as a presidential candidate and to stop INEC from accepting or publishing his name for the election.
Central to the case is the interpretation of Sections 1(1), 1(2), 1(3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
According to the plaintiff, Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit for the office after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua following his death in 2010 and subsequently serving a full four-year term after winning the 2011 presidential election.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Emmanuel Agida, who deposed on behalf of the plaintiff, stated that the legal action became necessary following reports suggesting that Jonathan could be considering another presidential bid in 2027.
The plaintiff argued that allowing the former president to contest and possibly win the election would amount to taking the presidential oath of office for a third time, which he maintained is prohibited by the Constitution.
Justice Lifu had earlier ordered on April 28 that hearing notices be issued to all parties after observing that some respondents had yet to file their processes in the matter.
With the latest adjournment, attention is expected to shift back to the Federal High Court on May 11 as the legal battle over Jonathan’s political future continues.
