Court Rejects CBN Governor Emefiele’s Request To Restrain INEC, AGF Over Presidential Ambition

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele’s request to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami preventing him from his Presidential Ambition.

The CBN Governor on Monday told the Court in Abuja that he can run for the post of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without vacating his position as the CBN Governor.

The CBN Governor through his Counsel, Mike Ozekhome, told the court that Section 84 ((12) of the Electoral Act as amended, 2022 does not affect him, being a public servant and not a political appointee.

The court in its ruling, however, summonsed INEC, and AGF to appear before it on May 12, to show cause on why status quo antebellum, should not be granted to the CBN Governor.

In the affidavit of urgency in support of the motion, Emefiele’s counsel, averred “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 les 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”, Emefiele begged Court.

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