Court asked to stop Jonathan from contesting 2027 presidential election

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

The Federal High Court in Abuja, has been asked to restrain the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, from contesting 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiff, a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, had in a suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/ noted that he recently saw in various national dailies and television stations reports on Jonathan’s intention to contest for the presidency in 2027.
The Plaintiff wants the court to stop the former president from presenting himself to any political party in the country for the purpose of contesting the 2027 presidential election.
He also wants the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a duly nominated candidate of any political party for the purpose of contesting the next presidential election.
Jonathan, alongside INEC, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) were mentioned as the defendants in the matter.
In the five reliefs sought by the plaintiff, he wants the court to determine whether in view of the combined provisions of the entirety of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution and their conflated interpretation, the first defendant (Jonathan) is eligible, under any circumstances [whatsoever] to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Upon determination of the reliefs, he wants the court to also declare that upon an intimate reading and complete understanding of the entirety of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the Constitution, Jonathan “is ineligible to stand for or occupy the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Jideobi wants the court to declare that, in view of the entirety of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the Constitution INEC lacks the constitutional power to receive from any political party the name of the first defendant or publish same as the candidate of any political party for the election into the office of the president in 2027 and other years to come.