Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan can contest presidential elections next year

A court declared on Friday that former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to run in next year’s presidential election, removing any uncertainties about his eligibility and allowing him to return to national politics.

Jonathan, who served as president from 2010 to 2015, has yet to announce if he will run for re-election.

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However, some APC members filed a lawsuit seeking to disqualify Jonathan based on the president’s term restrictions. Jonathan’s counsel said a judge determined on Friday that he can run for president in 2023.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed a constitution amendment in 2018 seeking to bar vice-presidents from serving more than one full-term in event of succeeding a president through death, impairment or ill-health, a hurdle which Jonathan had to clear.

The court said that the new amendment was not binding on Jonathan.

“If the court had said it was binding, Jonathan would have been deemed to have done eight years in office and therefore not qualified to contest election as President of Nigeria,” the lawyer said.

Jonathan succeeded his boss, former president Umaru Yaradua, who died in office.

He subsequently contested and won presidential elections under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), now an opposition party.

Parties are yet to pick their candidates for next year’s election. Jonathan, who was defeated in 2015 by the APC’s candidate, has not said under which party he intends to contest.

With Buhari due to step down next year after serving two full terms, the race to succeed him is wide open with more than 20 ruling party candidates registering to contest the primary vote.