Court to rule May 26 on suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility for 2027 presidential election

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 26, 2026, to deliver judgment in a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

Justice Peter Lifu set the date on Monday after all parties adopted their final written addresses in the matter.

The court is also expected to decide on a separate application asking Justice Lifu to withdraw from the case over allegations of bias. The application was filed by the plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi.

At Monday’s hearing, Jonathan’s counsel, Chris Uche, urged the court to dismiss the recusal application, describing it as frivolous and an abuse of court process.

Uche argued that the allegations against the judge were based on a misrepresentation of earlier proceedings and asked the court to strike out the application with substantial costs.

Also opposing the motion, Maimuna Lami-Shiru, who represented Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, said the plaintiff had failed to establish any valid reason for the judge to recuse himself.

She asked the court to dismiss the application and award ₦2 million in costs against the plaintiff.

In the substantive suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi is asking the court to restrain Jonathan from contesting the 2027 election, arguing that the former president has already exhausted the constitutional two-term limit.

The plaintiff contends that Jonathan completed the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua following his death in 2010 and subsequently won a full four-year term in the 2011 election.

He is also seeking an order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate in the 2027 election or any future presidential contest.

INEC, listed as the second defendant, was not represented in court during Monday’s proceedings.

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Jonathan and the Attorney-General have both asked the court to dismiss the suit and award substantial costs against the plaintiff.

Justice Lifu said all pending objections, including the recusal request, will be determined alongside the substantive judgment on May 26.

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