A constitutional lawyer, Mr. Oba Maduabuchi, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has described the suit filed against former President Goodluck Jonathan challenging his eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election as an “abuse of court process”.
Maduabuchi pointedly said that the suit is nothing, but an abuse of the process of the court by a busy body.
Another legal practitioner, Mr. Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi, had on Monday, October 6, 2025, filed a case against President Jonathan’s eligibility before a Federal High Court in Abuja, praying it to issue a perpetual injunction restraining former President from presenting himself to any political party for nomination as a presidential candidate.
Jideobi told the court that he is an advocate of constitutionalism and the rule of law, thus, sought an order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a candidate in the 2027 presidential election.
In the suit, the plaintiff is asking the Court to interpret Sections 1(1)-(3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended and also asked the court to determine whether Jonathan remains constitutionally eligible to contest for president having previously completed the unexpired term of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and also served a full term after emerging victorious in the 2011 election.
The plaintiff also contended that Jonathan had already exhausted the two terms allowed by the Constitution, saying that any attempt to contest again would violate the provisions of the Constitution.
But, speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Maduabuchi emphasised that the issue of Jonathan’s qualification had already been settled by a competent court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, saying that no appeal has been filed against that judgment.
The Senior lawyer stressed until the existing judgment is overturned, it remains the valid legal position as the judgement cannot be waved aside by administrative fiat except through appeal.
Maduabuchi specifically said that anyone attempting to relitigate the matter is “simply abusing the process of the court and is a busy body”.
