A Federal High Court in Abuja has imposed a ₦1 million fine on a plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi, over repeated delays in the legal challenge seeking to prevent former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu, who presided over the matter on Friday, criticised both the plaintiff and his lawyer, Ndubuisi Ukpai, for what the court described as a lack of seriousness and diligence in prosecuting the case.
The judge ruled that the delays had unnecessarily stalled proceedings and ordered that the ₦1 million cost be paid in favour of Jonathan.
Court Faults Plaintiff Over Delays
During the ruling, Justice Lifu stressed that political cases require speedy handling due to the timelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to the court, the suit was filed as far back as October 2025, yet the plaintiff had failed to properly serve key parties including the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation with the originating court processes.
The judge described the repeated setbacks in the matter as unacceptable and warned against actions capable of frustrating judicial proceedings.
Jonathan’s Lawyer Demands Consequences
Counsel to Jonathan, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the suit entirely, accusing the plaintiff and his lawyer of repeatedly failing to appear in court without proper explanation.
He argued that the plaintiff had shown disrespect to the court by instituting a high-profile case and failing to diligently pursue it.
According to Uche, the former president only became aware of the lawsuit through media reports before eventually being served with court documents.
The lawyer further stated that courts must protect their integrity and ensure litigants face consequences for abusing legal processes.
Court Orders Fresh Service of Processe.
Justice Lifu subsequently directed the plaintiff to immediately serve all relevant court documents on INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation within two hours.
The court also ordered the defendants to file their responses before 11 a.m. on May 18, 2026.
The matter was later adjourned to May 18 for hearing of the substantive suit and all pending applications.
What the Suit Is About
Johnmary Jideobi is asking the court to stop Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiff argues that under provisions of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan may no longer be eligible to seek the presidency after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later serving another elected term.
He is also seeking an order preventing INEC from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
- NAN