The Kabiru Turaki faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has praised a Federal High Court ruling that cleared former President Goodluck Jonathan to participate in the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the court’s decision was both legally sound and rooted in “common sense.”
The Abuja court held that Jonathan is not barred from seeking another term in office, despite having previously served and taken the presidential oath on two occasions.
Welcoming the verdict, the opposition party argued that no law can be applied to events that occurred before it came into effect.
“This judgment is clearly in alignment with the law and common sense, as laws cannot have a retroactive or retrospective effect.
The PDP also dismissed the legal challenge against Jonathan’s eligibility, describing it as “vexatious” and “a gross abuse of court processes.” It maintained that the suit amounted to an unnecessary distraction from the democratic process.
“The punitive cost against the plaintiff is also very much welcomed, to serve as a deterrent to intending busybodies and irritants, who make themselves available for use by those seeking to derail democracy,” the statement said.
The party further noted that the judgment, alongside the waiver earlier granted to Jonathan by the PDP, removes any remaining hurdles to his participation in the party’s upcoming presidential primary.
“This development, coupled with the screening waiver that our party had granted President Goodluck Jonathan, has made the pathway for his presidential rescue mission totally unfettered, especially as the primaries of the party to select all its candidates will hold on May 28, 2026,” the statement added.
