A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, while also imposing a combined N21 million fine on the plaintiff.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the plaintiff, JohnMary Jideobi, lacked the legal standing to institute the case because he failed to show any personal injury or loss arising from Jonathan’s alleged presidential ambition.
The court awarded N20 million costs against the plaintiff in favour of Jonathan and an additional N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi had asked the court to restrain Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
He argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional two-term limit after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently serving a full term following the 2011 election.
The plaintiff also sought an order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate in the 2027 election or any future presidential poll.
However, Justice Lifu held that the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been settled by previous court decisions.
The judge noted that both a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had earlier affirmed that Jonathan remained eligible to contest for president, adding that those judgments are still binding.
Describing the suit as “an abuse of court process”, the judge also dismissed Jideobi’s application seeking his recusal from the case, describing the request as frivolous.
