2023 Presidency: Court Okays Jonathan’s Candidacy

The Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa has ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is qualified to join the 2023 presidential race.

The presiding judge, Justice Isa Hamma Dashen gave the judgement on Friday.

Dashen also ruled that the former president’s right to contest the apex office again cannot be stopped by any retroactive law.

Earlier, 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 to the constitution barring Vice-Presidents who succeed their principals from serving more than one full term.

Jonathan, who was elected as Vice-President alongside the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007, was inaugurated as President in 2010 following the death of Yar’Adua. In 2011, he ran for election and was again inaugurated.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, signed the fourth alteration of the 1999 Constitution which bars Vice-Presidents who succeed their principals from serving more than one full term.