The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting in the 2027 presidential election, and fined the plaintiff N21 million.
Justice Peter Lifu awarded N20 million out of it in favour of Jonathan and N1 million to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year’s poll.
The judge, who noted that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and a Court of Appeal had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.
The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process”.
Justice Lifu also dismissed the Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivolous.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Jideobi had sued Jonathan, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and AGF as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
