Jonathan, AGF asks court to reject judge’s bid to recusal in 2027 case

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Monday urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a motion seeking the withdrawal of Justice Peter Lifu from the hearing of a case questioning Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.

The motion to recuse was filed by the plaintiff, attorney Johnmary Jideobi, who is also asking the court to disqualify Jonathan from participating in the 2027 presidential race.

He denounced bias on the part of the presiding judge and urged him to step aside.

However, both Jonathan and the AGF, through their legal representatives, have strongly opposed the request, describing it as unfounded, frivolous and an abuse of the judicial process.

The former president’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), told the court that the application was without merit and was based on a misrepresentation of facts, urging Justice Lifu to dismiss it in its entirety.

He further urged the court not only to deny the motion, but also to award substantial costs to the plaintiff for what he described as an attempt to delay the proceedings.

Likewise, the Attorney General of the Federation, represented by the Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law at the Federal Ministry of Justice,

Maimuna Lami-Shiru, in line with Jonathan’s position, arguing that while judges retain the discretion to recuse themselves where impartiality may be questioned, the present request failed to meet any legal threshold.

He described the motion as an abuse of judicial process and asked the court to dismiss it with ₦2 million in costs to the Federal Ministry of Justice.

In his view, Lami-Shiru argued that the request was not supported by any credible legal basis and violated established principles guiding recusal requests, insisting that “he who arrives at fairness must come with clean hands”.

In the substantive case, both Jonathan and the AGF equally asked the court to dismiss the case challenging the former president’s eligibility to contest the 2027 elections, that too at huge cost.

After hearing arguments from all parties, Judge Peter Lifu reserved his ruling on the motion to recusal and adjourned the matter to May 26, 2026, for trial.

The case continues to draw national attention as it raises new legal questions about eligibility, judicial conduct and pre-election litigation ahead of the 2027 general election.

‘

Want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need advertising for a product, service or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com

We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Please donate any amount HERE