A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan is constitutionally eligible to contest the 2023 presidential elections.
In his ruling in a suit, FHC/YNG/CS/2022, filed by Andy Solomon and Idibiye Abraham, seeking a declaration to the effect that Jonathan is ineligible to contest the 2023 presidential election, Justice Isa Hamma Dashen ruled that Jonathan is qualified to contest.
The plaintiffs had sought an accelerated hearing, holding that by virtue of the fact that he has taken an oath of office twice and that by the provision of section 137(3) of the Nigerian Constitution, he cannot seek re-election.
However, Justice Dashen, in his ruling, said the only oath of office taken by Jonathan as elected president was on May 29 2011, after he completed the aborted tenure of late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
He also ruled that the provision of section 137 (3) cannot apply retroactively to deny former President Jonathan the right to contest.
