Court clears Jonathan to contest 2023 presidency
A Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, has cleared former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2023 Presidential contest.
The court gave the ruling on Friday, the eve of All Progressives Congress (APC’s) presidential primary contest.
Reports have said Jonathan has interest in joining APC’s presidential candidacy race, and a group claimed to have purchased N100 million nomination and indication of interest form on his behalf.
Today, the court held that Jonathan, who lost the 2015 election to President Muhammadu Buhari, could still vie for the highest office in the land.
The presiding judge, Justice Isa Hamma Dashen, who gave the judgement on Friday, also held that Jonathan’s right to contest for the office of president in 2023 cannot be stopped by any retroactive law.
In an origination summons filed by Andy Solomon and Idibiye Abraham, the plaintiffs sought 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.
APC, Jonathan and the Independent National Electoral Commission are listed as defendants in the suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/86/2022 which is before Justice Isa Dashen.
Jonathan took over power when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died in 2010 and contested the 2011 election, which he won.
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