A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to bar former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that previous court decisions had already settled the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility to seek another term in office.
The judge ruled that earlier judgments delivered by the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and affirmed by the Court of Appeal remained binding on the matter.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, who asked the court to restrain Jonathan from presenting himself as a presidential candidate in the 2027 election.
Jideobi also sought an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate.
However, the court dismissed the suit for lacking merit and awarded a N20 million fine against the plaintiff.
Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), had challenged the competence of the suit, arguing that the issue had already been determined by competent courts up to the Court of Appeal.
The former president’s legal team told the court that the suit was unnecessary and legally defective.
The ruling comes amid growing political speculation over Jonathan’s possible return to presidential politics ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former president had recently hinted at a possible comeback while addressing a group of youths urging him to contest.
“Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely,” Jonathan had said.
Last week, the Peoples Democratic Party’s interim leadership reportedly granted Jonathan an automatic ticket for the 2027 presidential election, exempting him from the party’s screening process.