By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Goodluck Jonathan |
A lawsuit has seeks to prevent former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election. The suit, filed by legal practitioner Johnmary Jideobi, argues that a fresh bid for the presidency by Jonathan would be unconstitutional and amount to an illegal third term.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, hinges on a specific interpretation of the Nigerian Constitution. Jideobi is asking the court for a perpetual injunction to bar Jonathan from being nominated as a presidential candidate by any party.
Furthermore, he seeks to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting Jonathan's name as a candidate. The case directly challenges the legality of a potential Jonathan comeback before it even begins.
The plaintiff's argument centers on Sections 1(1)-(3) and the crucial 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This clause limits an individual to a maximum of two oaths of office as President.
Jideobi contends that Jonathan has already met this limit: first, when he completed the term of late President Umaru Yar'Adua from 2010 to 2011, and second, after winning his own full term in the 2011 election. Therefore, any attempt to run and win in 2027 would lead to a third oath, a clear violation of the constitutional term limit.
In court documents, the plaintiff is described as a champion of constitutionalism acting in the public interest to prevent a potential breach. While Goodluck Jonathan has not officially declared his intention to run in the 2027 election, this lawsuit acts as a preemptive legal challenge to the persistent speculation about his political return.
The case is poised to test the judicial interpretation of the presidential term limits, a provision strengthened by the Fourth Alteration Act in 2018. The suit has not yet been assigned a hearing date.