2027 Presidency: INEC absent as court defers hearing in case against Jonathan
Court Defers Hearing on Jonathan’s Eligibility for 2027 Presidential Election
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the hearing of a case challenging the eligibility of former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest in the 2027 presidential election. The new hearing date is set for Monday.
This decision follows the absence of legal representation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is named as a defendant in the case. Both Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) attended the proceedings.
Jonathan’s legal team, led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, filed documents contesting the legitimacy of the lawsuit. A representative from the AGF’s office, J.D. Esho, indicated that they had not yet received a copy of the originating summons related to the case.
Despite confirmation from a court registrar that INEC was properly notified, there was no evidence presented that the commission had been served with the plaintiff’s suit.
Presiding Judge Peter Lifu expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress and criticized the plaintiff for a lack of diligence in prosecuting the case. He imposed a fine of 1 million naira against the plaintiff in favor of Jonathan following a request for a 5 million naira fine due to perceived delays.
Citing the urgency of the situation given the election timetable set by INEC, Justice Lifu emphasized the need for expedited resolution of politically sensitive cases.
“I hereby order that the plaintiff, who filed this suit on October 6, 2025, must serve all processes on the second and third defendants (INEC and AGF) no later than 10:30 a.m.,” ruled Justice Lifu. He also instructed the defendants to submit their responses by 11:00 a.m. on Monday and rescheduled the matter for a definite hearing at noon.
The plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi, had previously filed a motion requesting that Justice Lifu recuse himself from the proceedings, claiming bias. He has also petitioned Chief Judge John Tsoho, asking for the case to be reassigned to another judge.
In a May 9 petition, Jideobi accused Justice Lifu of making biased decisions. He contended that his attorney had not been given sufficient time to respond to counter-affidavits and other documents filed by Jonathan.
“The judge’s unilateral decision to truncate the statutory timeline for responses violates my rights,” Jideobi asserted in his communication to the Chief Judge. He also requested that the case be transferred to ensure a fair assessment.
In his lawsuit, Jideobi raises a critical question regarding Jonathan’s eligibility based on constitutional provisions and seeks various orders, including a permanent injunction against Jonathan’s candidacy and the acceptance of his nomination by any political party.
Jideobi argues that if Jonathan were elected in 2027, he would exceed the constitutional limit on presidential tenures, having already completed a full term and part of another. The plaintiff contends that without judicial intervention, Jonathan could be presented as a candidate, potentially breaching constitutional mandates.
The court’s decision and any subsequent actions will be closely monitored as the political landscape in Nigeria evolves ahead of the forthcoming elections.
