May 09, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and four others before a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking enforcement of his right to contest the 2023 Presidential election.
THEWILL reported that the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, had last week paid N100m for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential expression of interest and nomination forms for Emefiele.
While Emefiele had in a series of tweets on Saturday on his verified twitter handle, appreciated the Rice Farmers’ effort for purchasing the forms. He, however, noted that should he decide to contest, he would use his personal resources to procure the forms.
He said he would continue to serve the country in his capacity as CBN governor, until he received divine counsel to contest for a higher office.
“I am humbled by the growing interest of those asking that I run for the Office of President in the 2023 general elections: I have not come to that decision. I note and salute the sacrifices of those farmers and patriots going as far as raising personal funds and offering me Presidential Nomination Forms: I thank them most profusely”, his tweets partly read.
Though Emiefiele had earlier rejected the APC Presidential Form, THEWILL reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, among others, have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack him as head of the apex bank.
Amid the controversy, Emefiele reached out to Mike Ozekhome (SAN), a constitutional lawyer, to seek interpretation of the constitution and public service rules on public servants seeking elective positions while in office.
However, in a suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022, filed on his behalf by Mike Ozekhome, against INEC and Abubakar Malami (the attorney-general of the Federal and Minister of Justice), Emefiele claimed that he will suffer “irreparable damage”, if he is denied the right to contest the 2023 presidency.
A supporting affidavit of the suit reads: “That at a conference meeting held on this case at our office, Ukwe Court, Plot 2215 Cadastral Zone, Opposite Maitama Divisional Police Station, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, the 3rd day of May, 2022, at about 1:00 pm, I was informed by the Plaintiff/Applicant, Mr Godwin Emefiele, of the following facts and I verily believe him to be true as follows:
“That he has read through the several court processes and is thus fully seized of the facts stated below, which are facts as contained in the several court processes filed by the various parties in the process leading to this suit.
“That the plaintiff is a Nigerian citizen, Economist, Banker and financial expert, who has been serving as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria since 4th June, 2014.
“That the Plaintiff is a public officer, who is being daily called upon to seek election to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under any political party, and participate as a candidate in the upcoming 2023 presidential elections fixed for 25th February, 2023.
“That the parties’ presidential primaries are scheduled to hold on or about the 30th of May and 1st of June, 2022.
“That it is already less than 30 days to the party’s scheduled presidential primaries.
“That the Plaintiff has brought this suit to urgently challenge the attempt to disqualify and exclude him from participating in the parties’ presidential primaries scheduled to hold on or about the 30th of May and 1st of June, 2022.
“That unless this suit is urgently assigned, with the time for taking steps and filing of processes in the suit abridged by this honourable court, and the suit urgently determined, irreparable damage will be done to the Plaintiff, in that he would be barred from participating in the said parties presidential primaries taking place in less than a month’s time.
“That unless this suit is timeously heard before the imminent events of the primaries, it would foist on this honourable court a situation of fait accompli and complete helplessness and there would be nothing left for the court to decide.”
However, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed has slated a hearing on the case for May 9, 2022.
About the Author
