Former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, has ruled out any legal pathway for former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, declaring such a move unconstitutional.
Key Highlights:
- Constitution limits any Nigerian president to a maximum of eight years in office
- Jonathan already completed Yar’Adua’s term and served his own full tenure
- Any future attempt to run for president would be unconstitutional and void
Justice Salami, in an opinion article released on Thursday, said the 1999 Constitution (as amended) bars anyone from holding the office of President for more than eight years, a condition Jonathan has already met.
According to the retired jurist, Jonathan’s earlier succession to the presidency after the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, combined with his own subsequent term following the 2011 election, completes the constitutional limit.
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Justice Salami warned that any attempt by Jonathan to return to Aso Rock in 2027 would not survive judicial scrutiny.
“It has been painstakingly and dispassionately demonstrated that the ambition of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election is effectively and undoubtedly shot down by the constitutional limit,” Salami stated.
The former appellate court head maintained that the rule of law must prevail over political sentiment, noting that “the courts would have no difficulty nullifying any victory that violates the constitutional tenure ceiling.”
He urged political actors to respect the supremacy of the Constitution, emphasizing that its provisions are “not open to manipulation or reinterpretation for personal ambition.”
