A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan is constitutionally eligible to contest the 2027, presidential election.
Justice Isa Dashen ruled that Jonathan’s swearing-in in 2010, following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was not by election but a constitutional succession. He explained that Jonathan had only been elected once, in 2011, which does not violate the constitutional limit of being elected president twice.
The court further held that the 2017 constitutional amendment, which took effect in June 2018 and bars any person who completed another’s tenure from being elected more than once, could not be applied retroactively to Jonathan since his situation occurred before the amendment came into effect.
The judgment, which has not been challenged, clears the way for Jonathan to legally participate in the 2027 presidential race, expected to take place in February 2027.
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