Tag: Goodluck Jonathan

 

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on Monday urged Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court to dismiss a lawyer’s motion seeking his withdrawal from the case.

Jonathan and Fagbemi, through their lawyers, told Justice Lifu to dismiss the motion with sunstantial cost.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, who is the plaintiff in the suit seeking to stop Jonathan from vying in the 2027 presidential election, had filed the motion.

In the motion on notice deposed to by his lawyer, Ndubuisi Ukpai, he is asking the judge to withdraw from the case, citing alleged bias.

Responding, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, who appeared for the ex-president, vehemently opposed Jideobi’s motion

The senior lawyer described application as frivolous, baseless and founded on gross misrepresentation.

“In opposition, we filed a counter affidavit of five paragraphs on May 12.

“We want my lord to rely on the record of this honourable court which has entirely dismissed the plaintiff’s entire claims as false and perjury,” he said.

Uche, who urged the court to discountenance the application as constituting a gross abuse of the court process, prayed the court to dismiss same with substantial cost and proceed with the case.

In the same vein, Fagbemi, who was represented in court by Mrs Maimuna Lami-Shiru, the Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law, Federal Ministry of Justice, also prayed the judge to dismissed the motion.

Lami-Shiru submitted that a judge may recuse himself from a case if he feels that his involvement will affect the impartiality of the suit

The lawyer, however, argued that that the instant motion was an abuse of court process.

She urged the court to dismiss the plaintiiff’s motion as being baseless, unmeritirious and unfounded on proper provisions of the law.

According to the lawyer, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.

Lami-Shiru, who urged the court to dimiss the suit with substantial cost, sought N2 million cost in favour of the ministry.

In the main suit filed by the plaintiff, Jonathan and Fagbemi equally asked the court to dimiss same with substantial cost.

After taking arguments from lawyers to the plaintiff and the defendants, Justice Life fixed May 26 for judgement.

Details later

 

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday challenged a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to restrain him from contesting 2027 presidential election.

Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after the matter was called for hearing.

Uche informed the court that a letter of conditional appearance, a notice of preliminary objection, a counter affidavit and a written address had been filed on May 5 ,praying the court to dismiss the case.

He said they got information about the case through the media and hence, the need to file their processes urgently going by the importance of the matter which boiled down on the eligibility of the forner president to contest in the next election.

The senior lawyer said it was unfortunate that such a suit is filed by a lawyer who should know more that this same matter had been decided by the Federal High Court up to Court of Appeal.

Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, informed the court that the matter was for mention but he was just being served by Jonathan’s proceeses.

He said he would need more time to respond

Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until May 11 by 2pm for hearing of the ex-president’s objection and the substantive suit.

The judge also ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the mlater, that were not in court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, had filed the case, praying the court to bar Jonathan from contesting in the 2027 poll.

Citing constitutional grounds, Jideobi urged the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in the country for the purpose of contesting in the poll.

He also urged the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting from any political party, Jonathan’s name or publishing same as a duly nominated candidate for the election.

Jideobi, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, sued the former president as 1st defendant.

In the suit dated and filed on Oct. 6, 2025, the lawyer joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

 

 

 

Jonathan stated this on Thursday in Abuja.

The development comes after a group supporters marched to his office calling on him to contest the presidential election.

“It’s only patriotic citizens that build their nations. Unpatriotic citizens will destroy their nation, take the money to anywhere to enjoy their life. So you must be patriotic. And things are very, very clear.

“The key thing we need in this country is peace. So as young people, for most of you here, more than 80% of you are very young people.

“I don’t even know how old some of you were when I was a President, but the key thing is peace in this country, and you will continue to advocate for that, and you continue to advocate for peaceful and credible elections in the country, because if we don’t have peaceful and credible elections, most good citizens will not want to bother get involved in politics.

“And as youths, you will continue to advocate for that. It’s very dear to us peaceful election, and indeed you as young people must continue to be fully involved in the electoral processes, especially your right to vote.

“I’ve observed elections in about 14 or more African countries, some I have been there two times.

“Presidential race is not a computer game, but I heard you, and I will consult widely, but the most important thing is in Nigeria that the young people will have in Nigeria that will plan for our grandchildren,” Jonathan said.

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a multi billion naira expanse of lands approved for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the Federal Government.

Justice Mohammed Umar granted the motion on notice moved by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which was not opposed by the defence lawyer, Hassan Liman, SAN.

Justice Umar directed the ICPC, on behalf of the Federal Government, to supervise the construction of the lands to completion of the 962 housing units as earlier proposed.

The judge held that the supervision should be done in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), the sole respondent in the case, and ensure the utilisation of the housing units by end users.

Justice Umar said, “an order is hereby made for the final forfeiture of Plot No. 5 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja measuring approximately 122015.80m2 and valued at N1,944,375,000.00 (One Billion, Nine Hundred Forty-Four Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand Naira.

“An order is hereby made for the final forfeiture of Plot No. 4 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring approximately 157198.30m2 and valued at N3,340,500,000.00 (Three Billion, Three Hundred Forty Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), suspected of being proceeds of unlawful activity.

“An order is hereby made directing the applicant, through the ICPC, to facilitate the hand-over of the forfeited properties to the respondent i.e. Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, being the victim of the alleged unlawful activity.”

Justice Umar, in the ruling delivered on Dec. 11 but the enrolled order sight by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, further directed the ICPC and FMBN to set up a committee which membership is to be drawn from both agencies to implement the completion of the project.

NAN reports that Justice Umar had, on July 9, granted the anti-corruption commission’s prayer to temporarily take over the lands, after Akponimisingha moved a motion ex- parte to the effect.

Justice Umar held that the interim forfeiture of the multi billion naira assets approved by the FMBN shall be pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The ICPC had, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025, listed FMBN as sole respondent.

The lands were suspected of being proceeds of an unlawful activity.

It equally sought an order directing the commission to take over and secure the said immoveable property from being converted to personal use or sold off to unsuspecting members of public.

The ICPC further sought an order directing the commission to publish a notice in any national newspaper for interested person(s) to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

Giving 14 grounds why the application should be granted, the agency said the alleged assets were allocated by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) freely for the construction of 962 residential housing units through the FMBN.

In the affidavit deposed to by an ICPC’s officer, Iliya Marcus, he averred that the commission received an intelligence report that the FMBN engaged a private developer to construct 962 of residential housing units under National Housing Fund Scheme.

According to him, the commission in its usual characteristics of proactiveness launched a discreet preliminary investigation activities into the said intelligence report and discovered the following:

The FMBN requested and got approval to commence construction of “Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate” on July 30, 2012.

Marcus said following the approval, a framework agreement between FMBN and Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited was entered on Jan. 27, 2012.

He said sequel to the said framework agreement, the bank appointed a consultant for the project vide a letter dated Feb. 1, 2012.

He said the appointment of the consultant was to assist monitor the housing project on behalf of the FMBN to report milestone to enable the bank pay the developer of the proposed estate.

He said investigation revealed that FMBN sought and obtained a loan facility of 65 million U.S. dollars from Ecobank Limited for the construction of the 962 residential housing units through Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, a private company for the benefit of low income earners.

He said the tenure of the project was for 18 months.

Marcus said th FMBN through the then managing director paid to Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited the sum of N3,785,000,000.00 as drawdown on Nov. 22, 2012.

He said the alleged sum of money was paid as drawdown without evidence of registration with Real Estate Developers Association by Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited as pre-condition for such payment.

“Investigation also revealed that the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria has paid the full project amount of (65 million dollars to Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited without a single house on the project site,” he said.

He said though the FMBN was established by the Federal Government to provide affordable housing support for Nigerians, from actionable intelligence available to the commission, the property developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, was making clandestine moves to sell off the said immovable property to unsuspecting members of the public.

He said if this is done, it would be difficult to recover the plots of land from them.

The officer added that if the application was not granted, “the way the 65 million dollar was dissipated without anything to show for, the land will follow the same way.”

Akponimisingha informed the court of the motion ex parte, seeking the interim forfeiture of the two plots of land.

According to the ICPC lawyer, the land in question was part of a massive housing project initiated during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said the project was reportedly awarded to the developer, said to have received $65 million, equivalent to over ₦14 billion at the time, from FMBN.

The estate, he said, was to be named in honour of the former president.

Akponimosin, however, told the court that no single house had been constructed on the land since the funds were disbursed.

He stated that the property, presently, now worth over ₦200 billion, and the promoters of the company, including some American nationals, had allegedly fled and remained unreachable.

He explained that though Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited is already facing trial before Justice James Omotosho of a sister court, the forfeiture request was a separate matter aimed at securing the land for the benefit of Nigerians and FMBN.

He urged the court to grant the plea.

In his ruling, Justice Umar granted the interim forfeiture and questioned why the entire project sum was paid upfront without corresponding progress on the ground.

The judge then adjourned the matter until Oct. 27 for report of compliance.

 

 

 

 

By Ima Niboro

There is no question that whispers of a Goodluck Jonathan comeback in 2027 have swirled for months. Of course the rumour mill has been working overtime regarding this subject matter. But the man at its epicentre, former President Goodluck Jonathan, has not declared. He has neither started what we call a “mosquito campaign” in politics, nor even personally hinted at a return.

Yet on Monday, my senior brother and colleague, Bayo Onanuga, spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, launched a sweeping attack on Jonathan’s presidency, dismissing it as “dismal” and warning Nigerians not to allow him back. The question that arises is simple: Why this attack, and why now?

I write as a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). I campaigned for this president. I supported his vision, because I saw in him “the” true successor to Jonathan in terms of economic policy and strategic national vision. Because of this, I will not stand by while the government I proudly served—as Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, as Special Adviser to the President, and as Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)—is openly and needlessly maligned as though it achieved nothing. History, if it is to be honest, cannot be written in such cruel strokes.

Let me also be clear: I hold Onanuga in the highest personal regard. He is a respected senior colleague and my successor at the News Agency of Nigeria. Indeed, in Nigeria’s media and political history, only three of us, the late and highly regarded Remi Oyo, Onanuga, and myself, have had the distinction of serving as presidential spokespersons and CEOs of NAN; even if Onanuga’s case happened in a little bit of a reverse order.

Till today, he is one of the few Tinubu aides who has kept his doors and ears open to colleagues and friends. But to this statement of his, I say with all due respect: No, Sir.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s presidency was not perfect. No presidency is. None will ever be. But Jonathan’s was far from the caricature of “ruin” and “cluelessness” that Onanuga now paints. By the time President Jonathan left office in 2015, Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at $42 billion; Sovereign Wealth Fund held $1 billion; Excess Crude Account was at $2.2 billion despite relentless pressure from governors who insisted on taking out all the money because they claimed it was unconstitutional. The LNG signature bonus account had $5.8 billion. Are these numbers of economic collapse or the numbers of careful stewardship?

Jonathan’s administration presided over the rebasing of Nigeria’s economy in 2014, making it the largest in Africa, ahead of South Africa. New growth sectors: telecommunications, Nollywood, and services, were properly captured, boosting investor confidence. In 2012, Nigeria’s stock market was ranked among the world’s top three performers. Foreign Direct Investment surged, particularly from China and other strategic partners; and CNN Money had projected Nigeria to be the world’s third fastest growing economy by 2015.

CNN had reported further: Nigeria is set to be the first African country with an economy larger than $1 trillion, according to the latest projections from the US Department of Agriculture. Africa’s most populous nation, which recently held peaceful elections, revamped its gross domestic product data in 2014 and pulled ahead of South Africa to become the continent’s largest economy with a GDP of $469 billion. Between now and 2030, experts predict annual growth rates as high as 7.92%, resulting in a GDP of $1.05 trillion.

“A lot of Nigeria’s growth will come from agriculture, and services are huge in Nigeria,” says Charles Robertson, global chief economist at Renaissance Capital. He added that he actually expects the country’s GDP to reach $1 trillion before 2030. “Banking, retail, telecoms, and Nollywood have been an explosive growth story in the past couple of years. As a source of employment for 70% of Nigeria’s population in 2013, the country’s $56 billion agriculture sector currently accounts for 24% of GDP, and the country’s minister of agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, has said the new millionaires of Nigeria will be in agriculture.”

Indeed, Jonathan’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, under Adesina, revolutionised food production. The e-wallet system broke decades of corruption in fertilizer distribution, delivering previously scarce fertilizer directly to millions of farmers. Dry-season farming scaled up yields in the North. Under Jonathan, a 50kg bag of Nigerian-grown and polished rice was N8,000. Repeat: Eight Thousand Naira. At that same time, Nigeria became the world’s largest cassava producer.

In infrastructure, Jonathan put in motion the revival of rail transport. The Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge railway was completed; narrow-gauge lines were rehabilitated. The second Niger Bridge was commenced. Federal roads were rebuilt across the country. Airports were modernised, including the elevation of Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu to international status.

I remember as clearly as yesterday what he and I discussed about the sweeping airport development and renovation programme in one of our strategy sessions. He said that the very first impressions of a country are formed right at the arrival airport, and that if we must change the world’s perception of Nigeria, we might as well start by clearing out our ramshackle airports and build new ones that tell a more compelling story to our international visitors.

In education, Jonathan established 14 new federal universities, nine of them in northern states, and built 166 Almajiri schools. He launched scholarship programmes like PRESSID to send Nigerian graduates to the world’s top universities in science and innovation.

For the younger generation who might need their memories rejigged, here is what Google AI had to say about PRESSID: “The PRESSID scholarship was a Nigerian Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan for first-class Nigerian graduates to pursue postgraduate studies at top global universities. The program was known for its competitiveness and was intended to address educational gaps and foster national development through human capital. However, reports indicate the scheme stopped awarding scholarships under the subsequent Buhari administration, leaving some beneficiaries in a difficult situation.”

Well, what Google failed to add is that Jonathan actually started this programme as governor in Bayelsa State, and recreated it at the federal level when he became president.

So my question is: Are these the footprints of failure or evidence of great vision?

Jonathan’s government introduced governance reforms that remain the foundation of today’s fiscal discipline: the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and Treasury Single Account (TSA). These systems, derided by some at the time, are now celebrated as central tools in fighting leakages and corruption.

In health, Jonathan’s swift response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak drew global praise. His administration reduced polio cases to a single digit before it disappeared, only to return under Buhari in yet unclear circumstances. Jonathan made powerful gains in maternal and child health, and in security, procured hardware that enabled the military to reclaim territories seized by Boko Haram.

Indeed, when US President Barack Obama, with the urging of the then opposition APC (All Progressives Congress), refused to sell arms to the Jonathan government and blocked global defence transactions with Nigeria, rumours had it that money was put in private planes to get weapons into Nigeria from anyone willing to sell to break the back of Boko Haram and their co-travellers.

I doubt if anyone will contest the fact that it was Jonathan who truly deepened Nigeria’s democracy. Under him, INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) enjoyed greater autonomy; elections in 2011 were widely adjudged credible. Opposition parties won governorships and legislative seats, and their victories were respected. In 2015, Jonathan conceded defeat peacefully, a first in Nigeria’s history and a global democratic milestone. That act alone remains etched in world history.

So why then this rush to smear Jonathan? Is it because the mere rumour of his return unsettles those in power today? Is it because he still commands respect across divides? Or because the memory of his governance remains far kinder than the press releases that now seek to undermine him?

Onanuga, in his statement, praised Tinubu for subsidy removal, but Nigerians remember who stood against Jonathan when he attempted the same reform. It was Tinubu himself, alongside others, who led protests that forced a reversal in 2012. To now blame Jonathan for “allowing the economy to bleed” is disingenuous. He sought to cauterise the wound; they stopped him, and now they accuse him of not stopping the haemorrhage? Gosh!

To my mind, what is past is past, and Tinubu’s record in GDP growth, inflation control, and rising reserves should be allowed to stand on its own merits. It should not require rewriting Jonathan’s presidency into a tale of ruin. Politics must be rooted in a measure of honesty. Is it not said that there must be honour even among thieves, not to speak of great patriots like our good selves!!!

Whether Jonathan runs in 2027 or not, his record remains what it is: the economy’s expansion, agricultural reform, revived rail, modernized airports, new universities, governance innovation, health gains, and deepened democracy. These cannot be erased by the flourish of anyone’s pen. Nigerians lived them. Nigerians remember.

So I say again: I respect Bayo Onanuga as a senior colleague and compatriot. But to this statement of his… this premature assault on a man who has not declared for 2027… I respond firmly, respectfully, and unequivocally: No, Sir.

.( Niboro, former spokesman to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, is the publisher of KTH Daily.)