Jonathan and AGF have moved to strike out suit challenging his 2027 election eligibility.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, have urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking to stop Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu fixed May 26 for a composite judgment, including a ruling on an application filed by Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, requesting the judge to recuse himself from the case over alleged bias.
The plaintiff, in the originating summons, asked the court to determine whether Jonathan remains eligible to contest for the office of president under Sections 1 and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
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Jideobi argued that Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently serving another full term following the 2011 presidential election.
According to an affidavit filed by Emmanuel Agida on behalf of the plaintiff, Jonathan was first sworn in as president on May 6, 2010, after Yar’Adua’s death, and again on May 29, 2011, after winning the presidential poll.
The plaintiff also accused the court of bias, alleging that the 14 days initially granted for response to Jonathan’s counter-affidavit and preliminary objection were shortened.
However, Jonathan’s counsel, Chris Uche, asked the court to dismiss the suit and award N50 million damages against the plaintiff.
Uche argued that similar suits previously filed against Jonathan had already been dismissed by the courts, adding that the constitutional amendment barring individuals who had taken the oath of office more than twice could not be applied retroactively against the former president.
He further maintained that the plaintiff lacked the legal standing to institute the suit and accused him of attempting to use the judiciary as a political tool to stop Jonathan from exercising his constitutional rights.
“He has no locus standi to bring this action and no cause of action has crystallised,” Uche argued before the court.
Also speaking, the Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Dr Maimuna Lamin Shiru, urged the court to dismiss the case entirely.
However, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, opposed the objections filed by Jonathan and the Ministry of Justice, insisting that being a registered voter was not a requirement for instituting the suit.
