The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday deferred the hearing of the suit challenging former President Goodluck Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election until Monday.
This development came on a day the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is listed as a defendant in the matter, failed to send legal representation to court.
However, both former President Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) were represented during the proceedings.
While Jonathan, through his team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, had already filed processes challenging the competence of the suit, a lawyer from the office of the AGF, J. D. Esho, told the court that the office had not yet received a copy of the originating summons.
Esho disclosed that Jonathan had also sent the processes he filed in opposition to the suit to the office of the AGF.
Although a registrar of the court confirmed that INEC was duly served with a hearing notice, there was no evidence that the Commission had received a copy of the plaintiff’s suit.
Justice Peter Lifu, who is presiding over the case, expressed his displeasure at the slow pace, even as he berated the plaintiff for not prosecuting the case diligently.
He proceeded to award a fine of N1 million against the plaintiff and in favour of ex‑President Jonathan.
