Explainer: Is Ex-President Jonathan Eligible to Contest Again in 2027?
- Fresh calls emerged urging former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 election as opposition figures sought his return
- Legal debate centred on Section 137(3) of the Constitution, with experts divided over whether it barred Jonathan from another term
- A Federal High Court ruling involving Ondo state Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa intensified interpretations on tenure limits and eligibility
Fresh appeals have emerged urging former President Goodluck Jonathan to consider contesting the 2027 presidential election, amid shifting alliances within opposition parties.
Jonathan, who has largely stayed away from partisan politics since leaving office, is reportedly being courted by key political actors seeking a unifying figure ahead of the next general election.
Source: Twitter
Jonathan’s path from vice-president to president
Jonathan first assumed national prominence as Vice-President to late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007. Following Yar’Adua’s death in May 2010, he was sworn in as President to complete the tenure.
He subsequently secured a fresh mandate in the 2011 presidential election but lost his re-election bid in 2015 to Muhammadu Buhari.
His concession of defeat in 2015 earned him widespread international acclaim and was seen as a defining moment for Nigeria’s democratic stability.
Constitutional provision at centre of debate
At the heart of the ongoing debate is Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), introduced through the Fourth Alteration in 2017, as reported by Punch.
The section provides that:
“a person who was sworn-in as President to complete the term for which another person was elected as President shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term.”
Legal analysts note that this clause appears to limit individuals who complete another president’s tenure to only one additional elected term.
Questions over retroactive application
Despite this provision, there is disagreement among legal experts over whether the law applies to Jonathan, as the amendment was enacted after he had already left office in 2015.
This has raised questions about whether the constitutional restriction can be applied retroactively to bar him from contesting again.
Similar cases fuel fresh legal interpretations
A related provision under Section 182(3), which applies to governors, has further intensified the discussion.
The section states:
Source: Twitter
“a person who was sworn-in as governor to complete the term for which another person was elected as governor shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term.”
The issue recently gained prominence following a Federal High Court ruling in Akure involving Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The court held that Aiyedatiwa, who assumed office after the death of Rotimi Akeredolu and was later elected, would be ineligible to seek another term beyond the constitutional limit.
Uncertainty remains ahead of 2027
With legal interpretations divided and political pressure mounting, the question of Jonathan’s eligibility remains unresolved.
As the 2027 election approaches, any definitive answer is likely to depend on judicial interpretation or a clear political decision by the former president himself.
Primate Ayodele speaks on ticket that will defeat Tinubu
Previously, Legit.ng reported that ahead of the 2027 elections, Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of Lagos-based INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, said a Goodluck Jonathan-Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket could unsettle President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Legit.ng reported that the recent rise of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform adopted by opposition leaders to challenge President Tinubu’s re-election bid has reshaped the country’s political landscape.
Source: Legit.ng
