A suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election has suffered another setback at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The case, filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, could not proceed on Friday before Justice Peter Odo Lifu due to the absence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was again not represented in court.
INEC had also failed to appear when the matter first came up on May 11.
Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who is listed as the third defendant, told the court that the office had not been served with the originating summons and other relevant court processes.
Following the development, Justice Lifu adjourned the case until May 18 for hearing and directed the plaintiff to ensure proper service of all necessary parties.
At the previous sitting, the matter had also stalled due to the absence of the plaintiff, his counsel, INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation.
The judge had fixed May 15 for definite hearing after the earlier adjournment.
Jonathan’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), had earlier urged the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution and asked for a N5 million cost against the plaintiff.
In the suit, Jideobi is seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself as a presidential aspirant in the 2027 election and also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting or publishing his name as a candidate.
He argued that Jonathan has already exhausted the constitutional limit for the office, having completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later served a full four-year term after the 2011 election.
According to an affidavit supporting the suit, Jonathan assumed office on May 6, 2010, following Yar’Adua’s death.
The plaintiff maintained that the case was filed in the public interest to uphold the Constitution and preserve Nigeria’s constitutional order.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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