Constitutional Impediments to Former President Jonathan’s Candidacy By Umar Ardo, Ph.D
These days it is commonly discussed at virtually every political forum of the need to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential elections as a most viable solution to the current political imbroglio facing the country. Vanguard Newspapers carried the issue conspicuously today. Whether this move will be a solution or by itself will be introducing another problem to our transitional politics is not what I am concerned with in this article. My concern here, beyond his suitability, is President Jonathan’s eligibility. Is President Jonathan legally eligible to contest another 4-year term in office? I think before this matter is taken any further, both by its agitators and by former President Jonathan himself, the legal question must have to be conclusively resolved. 2. As it is presently, there is the Justice Oniyangi’s FCT’s High Court judgment of March 2013 that explicitly cleared former President Jonathan to contest another term. There is, however, al...