JUSTICE Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
News Point Nigeria reports that delivering Judgement, Justice Lifu also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi and in favour of the ex-president.
He equally awarded a 1 million fine against the plaintiff and in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit, having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year’s poll.
The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.
The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process”.
Justice Lifu also dismissed Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivolous.
Jideobi had sued Jonathan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and AGF as the 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.
Jonathan is a former president of Nigeria. He first assumed power in 2010 after the death of ex-President Musa Yar’Adua. The Bayelsa-born politician served as vice president under Yar’Adua.
A year later, he contested and won the 2011 presidential election. But in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated him, the first time an incumbent had lost a presidential election since the return of democracy in 1999.
Since then, there have been calls on him to run in the 2027 polls even though the former president has moved away from partisan politics since his exit.
Despite calls for him to join the race, Jonathan told youths under the Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan that he would consult before deciding on the matter.
“Yes, you are asking me to come and contest the next elections,” the former president told the group when members visited him in Abuja.
“The presidential race is not a computer game, but I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely.”