A Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, has ruled that former governor Jolly Nyame is not constitutionally qualified to contest in the 2027 general elections.
The case, marked FHC/JAL/CS/6/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Taraba Progress Front, which challenged Nyame’s eligibility to seek elective office following his previous conviction.
Delivering judgment, Justice Mashkur Salisu held that the former governor was granted clemency and not a full presidential pardon.
According to the court, the clemency granted to Nyame in 2022 on health grounds did not automatically restore his constitutional rights to participate in elections until the required period under the law had elapsed.
As reported by Leadership Newspaper, the ruling followed a motion for interpretation filed by Abuja-based lawyer Barrister Badmus, who sought clarification on the legal effect of Nyame’s conviction and the clemency approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Justice Salisu referenced Section 182(1)(e) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, alongside Section 85 of the Electoral Act 2022, explaining that anyone convicted of offences involving fraud or dishonesty remains disqualified from contesting elections within the period stated by law.
Nyame was convicted in 2018 after being found guilty in a financial misappropriation case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The former governor, who was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress at the time, was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
