The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, ruling that the action was without merit and amounted to an abuse of judicial process.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that the plaintiff, lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, lacked the legal standing to institute the case, having failed to demonstrate any personal injury or direct interest in the matter.
The court also upheld a N20 million fine linked to the case and imposed an additional N1 million cost against the plaintiff in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Justice Lifu stated that the suit was speculative and not based on any existing legal dispute, stressing that courts do not entertain academic or hypothetical questions.
He further noted that the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been settled by earlier rulings of both the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal, which affirmed his qualification to contest elections.
According to the judge, the court was bound by those appellate decisions and could not revisit matters already determined by superior courts.
The judge consequently described the case as frivolous and an improper use of court process, before striking it out in its entirety.
The ruling effectively removes a legal hurdle that had drawn public attention amid ongoing speculation about Jonathan’s possible return to active politics ahead of the 2027 general election.
Although Jonathan has not officially declared his intention to run, the judgment is expected to intensify political discussions around his potential candidacy.
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