COURT DISMISSES SUIT SEEKING TO DISQUALIFY JONATHAN FROM 2027 PRESIDENTIAL RACE, AWARDS ₦20M COSTS

COURT DISMISSES SUIT SEEKING TO DISQUALIFY JONATHAN FROM 2027 PRESIDENTIAL RACE, AWARDS ₦20M COSTS A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to disqualify former President Goodluck Jonathan from participating in the 2027 presidential election, describing the action as an abuse of court process and awarding ₦20 million in costs against the plaintiff.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, who held that the suit lacked merit and that the plaintiff had no legal standing to institute the case against the former president. According to the court, the matter had already been settled in previous judicial decisions, including rulings from both the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility to contest future elections.The judge further stated that the court was bound by those earlier appellate decisions and could not revisit an issue already determined by higher judicial authority. Justice Lifu also awarded an additional ₦1 million in costs against the plaintiff in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation, bringing total penalties imposed in the case to ₦21 million. The court strongly criticized the suit, describing it as frivolous and a misuse of judicial resources, and subsequently dismissed all motions filed by the plaintiff, including an application seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case. The plaintiff, a lawyer identified as Johnmary Jideobi, had filed the suit against former President Jonathan, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, seeking to bar Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election. However, the court ruled that Jonathan’s eligibility had already been affirmed by superior courts and that there was no legal basis to reopen the matter. The judgment has effectively reinforced Jonathan’s legal standing ahead of the 2027 election cycle, while also underscoring judicial caution against what the court described as repeated and unproductive litigation.