A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled May 26 for judgment in a case questioning the eligibility of former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu fixed the date on Monday after all parties in the suit adopted their final written addresses, bringing arguments in the matter to a close.
The court will also rule on a separate application requesting the judge’s withdrawal from the case over alleged bias, filed by the plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi.
During proceedings, counsel to Jonathan, Chris Uche (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the recusal application, describing it as baseless and an abuse of court process.
Uche argued that the allegations of bias were rooted in a misrepresentation of earlier court proceedings and asked the court to award costs against the applicant before proceeding to judgment on the substantive matter.
Also opposing the motion, Maimuna Lami-Shiru, representing the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the application lacked merit and should be dismissed.
She argued that although judges can recuse themselves in cases of genuine concern over impartiality, no valid ground had been established in this instance. She further described the application as frivolous and an abuse of judicial process, urging the court to award ₦2 million in costs against the plaintiff.
In the substantive suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi is asking the court to bar Jonathan from contesting future presidential elections, arguing that he has already served the constitutional limit of two terms.
He maintained that Jonathan, having completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full term after the 2011 election, is no longer eligible to run for the presidency.
The plaintiff is also seeking an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject or withhold Jonathan’s name from any list of presidential candidates in 2027 or beyond.
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Independent National Electoral Commission, the second defendant in the case, was absent during Monday’s proceedings.
Both Jonathan’s legal team and the Attorney-General of the Federation have urged the court to dismiss the suit with substantial costs.
Justice Lifu stated that rulings on all pending applications, including the recusal request, will be delivered alongside the final judgment on May 26.