Monday Ubani, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has affirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan is legally eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.
He stated that this eligibility is clearly provided for under the 1999 Constitution.
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Ubani made the statement on Tuesday, during an interview with Arise Television, emphasising that his position was strictly based on constitutional interpretation and judicial precedent, rather than political preference.
“I want to say this, that my personal opinion, the legal interpretation of the eligibility of the former president clearly is not a validation.
“Whatever opinion that I express is not a validation of whether I want him to run for the presidency of Nigeria 2027,” Ubani stated.
The senior lawyer stressed that court rulings had consistently upheld Jonathan’s eligibility to run.
“Previous court judgments have affirmed that there is nothing in the constitution barring the former president from contesting again,” he added.
He recalled that Jonathan first assumed the presidency in 2010 following the death of former President Musa Yar’Adua, noting that this initial term was not through an electoral mandate but by constitutional succession.
“The law clearly differentiates between assuming office through succession and being elected for a term. Jonathan has completed both processes,” Ubani explained.
Ubani further clarified that Jonathan’s first elected term began in 2011 and reiterated that judicial pronouncements had consistently confirmed his right to seek re-election.
The SAN added, “Legal eligibility should not be conflated with political preference. My role here is purely to interpret the constitution and existing court rulings.”
