…Says he’s free to run
A Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan cannot be barred from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The presiding judge, Justice Isa Dashen held that Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which limits how many times a person sworn-in to complete another’s term can later seek election, took effect in 2018 – three years after Jonathan left office.
The suit, filed by two APC members, argued Jonathan was ineligible; but both APC and INEC failed to oppose his defence. Jonathan maintained he was only “elected” once, in 2011, as his 2010 swearing-in was to complete Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure.
The ruling wipes away the biggest legal roadblock to Jonathan’s comeback bid, sparking fresh speculation that he could return to Aso Rock in 2027.
