Jonathan Has Legal Right to Contest 2027 Presidency, Says Ubani

A respected legal luminary, Monday Ubani, SAN, has maintained that former President Goodluck Jonathan retains the constitutional right to run for the 2027 presidential election under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

Ubani, who spoke on Tuesday during an interview obtained by PulseNets on Arise Television, clarified that his position was rooted strictly in constitutional interpretation and judicial pronouncements, not in political endorsement.

According to him, “My personal opinion is based purely on law. The legal interpretation of Jonathan’s eligibility is not the same thing as endorsing him. Whatever I say should not be seen as a validation of whether I want him to run in 2027.”

The senior advocate told PulseNets that several court judgments had already affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility to contest, stressing that the 1999 Constitution does not place restrictions on him.

While recalling Jonathan’s ascension to the presidency in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Ubani explained that Jonathan’s initial tenure was a constitutional succession rather than an election.

Ubani further learnt by reference to past rulings that Jonathan’s first elected term officially began in 2011, a fact consistently upheld in court pronouncements. He emphasised that those judgments remain binding and validate Jonathan’s right to seek re-election in 2027.

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He reiterated, “From the standpoint of the law and judicial authority, Jonathan is not barred. His first term in 2010 was not by election but by constitutional necessity, and his 2011 mandate marked his true elected tenure. That is the legal foundation upon which his eligibility stands.”

With this clarification, PulseNets reports that Ubani has reignited fresh debates over the possibility of Goodluck Jonathan’s return to the ballot, a move that could reshape Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race.