Former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, has explained why ex-President Goodluck Jonathan cannot run for the presidency in 2027. Speaking through an opinion article, Salami said the constitution clearly bars him.
He noted that any attempt by Jonathan to occupy the presidency would violate the law. “The constitution restricts any person from being President for more than two terms, or eight years,” Salami explained.
Jonathan, he said, completed the remainder of the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s term before winning an election of his own.
This, according to Salami, makes any further attempt unlawful. “If Jonathan contests and wins, the courts would nullify such a mandate,” he added.
Salami warned the political class supporting Jonathan to be cautious. “It is painstakingly and dispassionately demonstrated abundantly to all and sundry that the ambition of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest for the office of the president for the second term in the 2027 general election is effectively and undoubtedly shot down,” he stated.
He further advised: “My advice to the political class angling up in his support to heed the warning, caveat emptor usually directed to land speculators to be aware. In an event of his winning the election he will be conveniently removed by the Court of Appeal in an election petition to that court which removal will be undoubtedly affirmed by the Supreme Court on the ground that his total tenure would have exceeded the eight years maximum tenure.”
Salami also noted that while the constitutional amendment’s interpretation is not strictly in contention, the main issue is Jonathan’s eligibility.
“It seems to me, however, that the interpretation of the amendment is not strictly in contention. What is in issue, to my mind, is the eligibility of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to seek the office of the president in the 2027 general election, being a person who exhausted the remainder of the term for which Umoru Musa Yar’Adua was elected president,” he said.
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