Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been cleared by the Federal High Court in Abuja to participate in the 2027 presidential election.
The ruling follows an attempt by a litigant, Johnmary Jideobi, who filed a suit seeking to stop Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate to any political party ahead of the election.
He also asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or processing Jonathan’s name for the presidential race.
Jideobi urged the court to interpret Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution and determine whether Jonathan remained constitutionally eligible to seek the office of President again.
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The case came shortly after a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki reportedly granted Jonathan a waiver, positioning him as its preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
However, in his judgement delivered on Tuesday, May 26, Justice Peter Lifu dismissed the suit and held that Jonathan was free to contest in the forthcoming election.
The court described the action as an abuse of judicial process and ruled against the plaintiff.
It also imposed a fine of ₦20 million against the claimant, awarding the costs in favour of Jonathan.
The judgement effectively removes legal barriers to Jonathan’s participation in the 2027 presidential race, leaving his political future open ahead of the next general election cycle.