Court Adjourns Jonathan Eligibility Case
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday postponed the case seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu fixed May 11, 2026, for the continuation of proceedings after the plaintiff’s lawyer requested more time to respond to fresh court filings from the defence team.
The case centres on whether Jonathan can legally return to the presidential race under the 1999 Constitution after completing the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure and later serving a full term following the 2011 election.
The plaintiff is asking the court to stop him from contesting and prevent INEC from accepting his name as a candidate.
During the hearing, Jonathan’s lawyer, Chris Uche, told the court he first learnt about the matter through media reports and had since been preparing the necessary legal documents.
He also pointed out that similar cases on Jonathan’s eligibility had already been decided by previous courts, raising questions over why the issue had resurfaced again.
The Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation were absent from the proceedings.
Justice Lifu later ordered that hearing notices be properly served on all parties before the next sitting, as the legal battle over Jonathan’s political future continues in Abuja.
