Former President Goodluck Jonathan has pushed back against a lawsuit filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, which sought to bar him from running in the 2027 presidential election.
Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after the matter was called for hearing.
Uche informed the court that a letter of conditional appearance, a notice of preliminary objection, a counter affidavit, and a written address had been filed on May 5, praying the court to dismiss the case.
He said they got information about the case through the media and hence, the need to file their processes urgently, given the importance of the matter, which boiled down to the eligibility of the former president to contest in the next election.
The senior lawyer said it was unfortunate that such a suit was filed by a lawyer who should know that this same matter had been decided by the Federal High Court up to the Court of Appeal.
Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, informed the court that the matter was for mention, but he was just being served by Jonathan’s processes.
He said he would need more time to respond.
Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until May 11 by 2pm for the hearing of the ex-president’s objection and the substantive suit.
The judge also ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter, who were not in court.
It was reported that a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, had filed the case, praying the court to bar Jonathan from contesting in the 2027 poll.
Citing constitutional grounds, Jideobi urged the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in the country for the purpose of contesting in the poll.
He also urged the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting from any political party, Jonathan’s name or publishing same as a duly nominated candidate for the election.
Jideobi, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, sued the former president as 1st defendant.
In the suit dated and filed on Oct. 6, 2025, the lawyer joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
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