The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the court case challenging former President Goodluck Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election as unnecessary, following a Federal High Court judgement in Abuja which held that Jonathan can run for office despite having taken the presidential oath twice.
The party in a statement on Tuesday, 26 May said the suit should not have been filed because the law does not apply retrospectively, noting that the case amounted to an avoidable distraction at a time when its presidential primary is set to hold on May 28.
The statement, which was issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, acknowledged and welcomed the court’s decision and said the legal challenge lacked merit from the beginning.
The party said that the judgement was in line with legal principles and supported its long-held position that Jonathan remains qualified to seek the presidency in 2027.
The PDP criticised the lawsuit itself, describing it as an unnecessary legal action that should never have reached the court.
The party said the case was a needless distraction and accused those behind it of misusing the judicial process.
“The suit, which, for all intents and purposes, was vexatious and a gross abuse of court processes, was a very unnecessary distraction that ought not to have been instituted in the first instance,” the statement said.
The PDP also welcomed the punitive cost imposed against the plaintiff, saying it would discourage individuals from filing disruptive legal actions in the future.
“The punitive cost against the plaintiff is also very much welcomed, to serve as a deterrent to intending busybodies and irritants, who make themselves available for use by those seeking to derail democracy,” the party said.
The PDP maintained that laws cannot be applied retroactively and said this was one of the reasons the legal challenge was misplaced.
It was affirmed that the court’s judgement has now removed any legal uncertainty surrounding Jonathan’s possible presidential bid.
The statement confirmed that the ruling, combined with the screening waiver earlier granted to Jonathan by the PDP, has cleared the way for him to participate in the party’s presidential nomination process.
“This development, coupled with the screening waiver that our party had granted President Goodluck Jonathan, has made the pathway for his presidential rescue mission totally unfettered,” the statement said.
The PDP is expected to hold its primaries on May 28, where candidates for various positions, including the presidency, will be selected.
The court ruling and the party’s response have now placed Jonathan’s possible participation in the contest firmly back in focus, but the PDP’s immediate emphasis remained on its view that the legal action against him was unnecessary and avoidable.
