A lawyer, Mr Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing the name of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as a presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, also requests a perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for the purpose of contesting the 2027 presidential election or subsequent elections.

Jonathan is cited as the first defendant in the suit, while INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) are joined as the second and third defendants, respectively.

In the application, the plaintiff urged the court to determine “whether, in view of the combined provisions of Sections 1(1), (2) and (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the first defendant is eligible under any circumstances to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Following this, Jideobi seeks declarations including that Jonathan is constitutionally ineligible to contest for or occupy the office of President, and that INEC lacks the authority to accept or publish his name as a candidate in any presidential election, including that scheduled for 2027.

He also requests “an order of perpetual injunction of this Honourable Court restraining the first defendant from presenting himself to any political party in Nigeria for nomination as its candidate for the general election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria holding in 2027 and other years to come.”

The suit similarly seeks “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the second defendant from either accepting from any political party the name of the first defendant or publishing same as a candidate for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria holding in 2027 and subsequent elections.”

Additionally, the plaintiff asked the court for “an order directing the third defendant to ensure compliance with the decisions and orders of this court.”

In an affidavit supporting the suit, one Emmanuel Agida stated that Jideobi, as an advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law, brought the action to uphold constitutional provisions. He contended that allowing Jonathan to contest and potentially serve another term from 2027 to 2031 would exceed the cumulative eight-year limit permitted for any individual under the 1999 Constitution.

The matter is expected to be scheduled for hearing by the Federal High Court in the coming weeks.