A Federal High Court in Abuja imposed a N1 million fine on the plaintiff in the suit seeking to bar former President Goodluck Jonathan from the 2027 presidential race on Friday, as persistent procedural failures continue to threaten the case’s survival.
Justice Peter Lifu ordered the plaintiff to serve all court processes on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) within two hours and directed both defendants to file their responses before 11 a.m. on May 18, when the matter was adjourned for hearing.
The court noted that although the suit was filed in October 2025, the plaintiff had still not served INEC and the AGF with the originating processes, prompting the sanction. The AGF’s office told the court on Friday that it had not been served with the originating summons and was therefore unable to file any response or formally enter appearance.
The setback follows similar disruption at the May 11 hearing, when the plaintiff Johnmary Jideobi and his lawyer failed to appear in court without prior notice. INEC and the AGF were also absent that day. Jonathan’s counsel, Chris Uche, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), used that hearing to urge the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution and sought a N5 million cost award against the plaintiff.
At the core of the case is a constitutional question that carries significant weight for Nigeria’s 2027 election cycle. The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether, based on Sections 1(1), (2) and (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remains eligible to contest for the presidency. The argument is that Jonathan exhausted the constitutional two-term limit by completing the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently serving a full four-year term following the 2011 election.
A supporting affidavit filed by Emmanuel Agida states that Jonathan assumed office on May 6, 2010, after Yar’Adua died a day earlier, and that reports suggesting a possible 2027 presidential ambition informed the decision to file the suit.
Jonathan has not publicly declared an intention to run. His legal team has filed a preliminary objection asking the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that the constitutional issues raised have already been settled by previous court decisions up to the Court of Appeal level.
