Former President Goodluck Jonathan received a ₦1 million cost award on Friday after a Federal High Court rebuked a plaintiff seeking to stop his alleged 2027 presidential bid.
The court in Abuja criticised plaintiff Johnmary Jideobi and his lawyer, Ndubuisi Ukpai, for repeated delays in prosecuting the suit.
Justice Peter Lifu described their conduct as “unacceptable” after several stalled proceedings.
The judge said political matters required speedy hearings because of the timetable released by Independent National Electoral Commission.
The suit was filed on October 6, 2025, but the plaintiff allegedly failed to serve the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Meanwhile, Jonathan’s legal team said they only learnt about the case through media reports before filing their response.
Judge Rebukes Plaintiff Over Delayed Proceedings
Justice Lifu said the plaintiff’s actions had frustrated the hearing process for months.
“This case has a character of politics.”
“The duty of this court is to ensure that political cases are given accelerated hearing and disposed of expeditiously.”
The judge granted the plaintiff two hours to serve all court documents on INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
He also ordered both agencies to file their responses before May 18, 2026.
Furthermore, the judge fixed May 18 for hearing of all pending applications and the substantive suit.
The court observed that neither the plaintiff nor his lawyer appeared during an earlier sitting on May 11.
Justice Lifu said the absence delayed proceedings despite the hearing time being fixed at the plaintiff’s request.
Jonathan’s Lawyer Seeks Dismissal Of Suit
Jonathan’s lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, asked the court to dismiss the case and impose heavy costs on the plaintiff.
He argued that the plaintiff had shown disrespect to both the court and other parties in the matter.
“The plaintiff thinks he can hold the court and other parties to ransom.”
“There must be a consequence for every action.”
Uche said Jonathan had already filed a preliminary objection and served the plaintiff properly.
Counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation, J.D. Esho, confirmed her office had still not received the originating summons.
The court registrar also stated that INEC had only received hearing notices and not the plaintiff’s full court documents.
Midway into proceedings, Ukpai arrived in court and apologised for his lateness.
“Our vehicle broke down on the way.”
Justice Lifu eventually awarded ₦1 million in costs against the plaintiff in favour of Jonathan.
The case has renewed attention on political litigation ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections and debates over whether the former president is constitutionally eligible to seek another term in office.
Rate, Like 👍, Comment 💬, Share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
