Court fixes May 8 to hear suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Friday, May 8, 2026 to hear a suit aimed at preventing former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

The Presiding Judge, Peter Lifu previously directed that hearing notices be issued to the defendants, who had not yet filed their responses to the suit.

The litigation, initiated by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeks a formal judicial declaration that Jonathan is constitutionally ineligible to return to the presidency.

Jideobi’s suit specifically requests that the court restrain Jonathan from seeking a nomination from any political party and prohibit the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing him as a candidate.

Alongside Jonathan, both INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation are named as defendants in the case.

At the heart of the dispute is the interpretation of Sections 1 and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

The plaintiff argues that Jonathan has already exhausted the two-term limit because he completed the remaining tenure of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua starting in May 2010 before serving his own full term following the 2011 election.

According to the supporting affidavit filed by Emmanuel Agida, allowing Jonathan to run again would result in him taking the presidential oath for a third time, which the plaintiff characterizes as a breach of Nigeria’s constitutional order and the rule of law.