By A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, refused the request of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, from stopping him from pursuing his presidential ambition.
Through his lawyer, Emefiele, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022, had asked the court to declare him eligible to run for the office of Nigeria’s President without resigning as CBN governor.
His lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had argued before the court that Section 84 ((12) of the amended Electoral Act does not affect Emefiele, being a public servant and not a political appointee.
However, the court ruled that the CBN governor be denied his request to restrain INEC from disqualifying him to pursue his presidential bid, summoning both the electoral umpire and AGF to appear before it on May 12.
This development comes about 48 hours after Emefiele broke his silence over his presidential ambition, saying he was yet to make a decision whether he would run.
It would be recalled that last Friday, three interest groups – the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Friends of Emefiele and Emefiele Support Group – purchased the APC expression of interest and nomination forms pegged at N100 million, for the CBN governor.
Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu had condemned the move, asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the apex bank governor.
Meanwhile, should Emefiele decide to run, he would be expected to tender his resignation to President Muhammadu Buhari, as Section 9 of the CBN Act 2007 forbids him from venturing into any other vocation while in office and must resign in writing to the President if he nursed such intention.
