ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the hearing on a lawsuit seeking to determine the eligibility of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 presidential election.
The presiding judge moved the proceedings to Monday, May 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM, following the absence of both the plaintiff and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during Friday’s scheduled session.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, was filed by legal practitioner Johnmary Jideobi. The plaintiff is seeking a judicial interpretation of Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates that a person who was sworn in to complete the term of an elected President shall not be elected to the office more than once.
Jideobi argues that since Jonathan completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full four-year term, he is constitutionally barred from seeking the office again.
The case has reignited a fierce legal debate. While a Federal High Court in Yenagoa ruled in 2022 that the constitutional amendment could not be applied retroactively to Jonathan, the current plaintiff contends that the law must be strictly upheld to prevent a “third-term” scenario.
Legal experts and political observers are closely watching the case, as the outcome will determine whether the former president remains a viable candidate for the upcoming general elections. Jonathan, who was present at his foundation’s event earlier this week, has yet to issue an official statement on the adjournment but has previously maintained that his participation remains a matter of ongoing consultation.
