Federal High Court Fines Plaintiff N1m Over Suit Against Jonathan’s 2027 Bid
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has imposed a fine of ₦1 million on plaintiff Johnmary Jideobi for delaying proceedings in a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu, in his ruling, held that both the plaintiff and his counsel, Ndubuisi Ukpai, failed to diligently prosecute the matter and described their repeated delays as unacceptable. The court ordered that the fine be paid to Jonathan, stressing that political cases must be handled expeditiously.
The judge further directed the plaintiff to serve all processes on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney‑General of the Federation within two hours, while mandating the defendants to file their responses before 11 a.m. on May 18, 2026. The matter was adjourned to that date for hearing.
