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- Since he was defeated in the 2015 election, President Goodluck Jonathan has remained visible in the public eye
- A federal high court’s ruling has cleared the path for Jonathan to consider a potential presidential bid
- The PDP and other political stakeholders will likely be watching closely as the 2027 election approaches
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.
Yenagoa, Bayelsa state – A federal high court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest in the 2027 election.
As reported by Vanguard on Sunday, September 7, 2025, the court’s decision was delivered on May 27, 2022, by Justice Isa Dashen.
Source: Twitter
According to Justice Dashen, a section of the Nigerian constitution, which bars individuals sworn in two times from contesting for the presidency, cannot be applied revisionally to Jonathan’s situation. The court noted that Jonathan was elected only once as president in 2011 and that his assumption of office in 2010 was to complete the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s term, which does not count as an election.
Reading his judgment, Justice Dashen said:
“Having carefully considered the arguments of the parties, I am of the view that the determination of the application or otherwise of the provisions of sub-section (3) of Section 137 of the constitution to the 1st defendant (Jonathan) lies on the juxtaposition of the date when the 1st defendant claims to have acquired his present right to be sworn-in as president and the date on which sub- section (3) of Section 137 of the constitution took effect.”
Justice Dashen added:
“Sub- section (3) of Section 137 of the Constitution states that any person who was so sworn-in shall, after completing the term of such other person, be eligible to be only elected to the office of President for a single term.
“Further scrutiny of Exhibit EKOI (i.e. Exhibit) also reveals that the 4th Alteration was enacted by the National Assembly in 2017; however, the ‘commencement’ date for same was expressly set for ‘7th Day of June, 2018’.
“Having the benefit of reading the Official Gazette (i.e. Exhibit ÉKO1), I therefore have no difficulty in holding that provisions of subsection (3) of Section 137 of the Constitution took effect from 7th June, 2018. And I so hold”.
Talks of Jonathan’s potential candidacy
Legit.ng reports that the court’s decision, delivered on May 27, 2022, by Justice Isa Dashen, has sparked renewed interest in Jonathan’s potential candidacy.
Jonathan sought a second term as incumbent president on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform in 2015 but lost to the then-opposition candidate, now-late Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Since his defeat, he has recoiled to a low-profile status within the PDP, preferring to project statesmanship image of himself through his public engagements. But he has not officially announced his resignation from the party.
In 2023, Jonathan was rumoured to be angling for the APC’s presidential ticket. While his silence continued to fuel the speculations, he ended up not taking any step to realise that goal.
Recently, former Jigawa state governor Sule Lamido branded him as the PDP’s best bet for the 2027 presidential election.
Lamido described Jonathan as one who has led the country before, understands governance, and works well with others.
According to the PDP chieftain, no current party member from the South can match Jonathan’s experience.
Read more on Goodluck Jonathan:
Jonathan told not to contest
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna, advised Jonathan not to recontest for presidency in the 2027 election.
Sani said the PDP, Jonathan’s known party, was no longer united.
Source: Legit.ng
