Former President Goodluck Jonathan was on Friday, May 27, cleared to contest the 2023 presidential election.
Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa and presided over by Justice Isa Hamma Dashen gave the ruling on Friday.
The judge stated that the former President is eligible to contest the 2023 presidency.
He also held that Jonathan’s right to vie for the office of president again cannot be stopped by any retroactive law.
Jonathan was inaugurated as Nigeria’s President in 2010 following the death of his principal, late Umaru Yar’Adua.
By 2015, while running for another term, a court ruled that Jonathan was eligible to contest as his first inauguration was done to complete Yar’Adua’s tenure.
However, in 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the fourth alteration of the 1999 Constitution which bars Vice Presidents who succeed their principals from serving more than one full term.
However, in an origination summons filed by Andy Solomon and Idibiye Abraham, the plaintiffs are seeking an order of the court stating that Jonathan is not affected by the fourth alteration.
The plaintiffs requested an accelerated hearing via a motion ex parte which was granted by Justice Isa Dashen to allow the former President participate in the APC primary election slated for Sunday, May 30.
Having been granted the permission to contest the APC presidential primary, Jonathan will be contesting against: the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Governor Dave Umahi, Governor Ben Ayade, Senate President Ahmad Lawan; Governor Badaru Abubakar, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Senator Ajayi Boroffice.
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