Court Declares Jonathan Eligible for 2027 Presidency, Strikes Out Suit Against Former President

A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, clearing a major legal hurdle around his possible return to active politics.

The court, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, held that Jonathan remains eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election, relying on earlier decisions of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal on the constitutional issues surrounding his eligibility.

PulseNets learnt that the presiding judge dismissed the case for lacking merit and described the action as an abuse of court process. The court also imposed a ₦20 million fine on the plaintiff.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were present in court during the ruling.

The lawsuit had sought to disqualify Jonathan from participating in the 2027 presidential race on the grounds of constitutional term limits linked to his previous tenure as president. However, the court ruled that the legal questions raised had already been addressed in previous judgments, making the fresh suit unnecessary and legally unsustainable.

The ruling is expected to intensify political conversations ahead of the 2027 general elections, especially amid growing calls from different political groups and stakeholders urging Jonathan to return to the race.

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Although the former president has not formally declared his intention to contest, PulseNets reported that the judgment is being viewed by many political observers as a significant boost for his potential ambition.

The development also comes at a time of increasing political realignments across opposition parties and emerging coalitions positioning ahead of 2027.