from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s largest opposition party, has welcomed a court ruling that former president Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest the country’s presidency.
The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, delivered the judgment on Tuesday.
This is despite Jonathan having previously been sworn into the office of president twice.
Ini Ememobong, PDP National Publicity Secretary, said, “This judgment is clearly in alignment with the law and common sense, as laws cannot have a retroactive or retrospective effect.”
“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.”
Ememobong said this development, coupled with the screening waiver that the party had granted Jonathan, had made the pathway for his presidential rescue mission totally unfettered, especially ahead of the party primaries to select all candidates for the 2027 elections.
Jonathan (68) served as president from 2010 to 2015.
His first stint was to complete the term of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who passed away in office.
Jonathan lost power to Muhammadu Buhari, who is also now deceased.
Bola Tinubu is the current president, leading the All Progressives Congress (APC).
– CAJ News