A Federal High Court in Abuja, the Nigeria’s capital territory, has on Monday, 9th May 2022 ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to appear before it on May 12, 2022 to explain why the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele should be disqualified from running for the country’s Presidential position in 2023.
It’s noteworthy that Emefiele had earlier filed a suit at the court, asking the arbiter to restrain the INEC and the AGF from disqualifying his presidential ambition.
Rumours have been making the rounds, for months now, that Emefiele was willing to join partisan politics. The campaign posters of the CBN boss were spotted everywhere at the venue of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention, which was held in March this year.
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The speculations were further made popular after a video showing several cars branded with ‘Emefiele for President’ went viral on the social media.
Emefiele’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome reportedly applied for an order of ‘status quo ante bellum’ to be made against the INEC and AGF, so that the CBN Governor would not be made to resign from office until 30 days to the general election, as stipulated in the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended.
In an ex-parte application argued on Monday, 9th May 2022, Emefiele denied being a political appointee but a Public servant, hence not caught by section 84 (12) of the new Electoral Act, 2022.
It could be recalled that the aforementioned section of the amended Electoral Act summarily stipulates that no ‘political appointee’ would be eligible to vote, or be voted for, at the Congress or Convention of any political party in Nigeria.
The CBN Governor asked the court to invoke section 318 of the 1999 Constitution to bar the defendants from asking him to vacate office, until 30 days before the February 2023 Presidential election.
Emefiele expressed apprehension that sale and submission of the presidential nomination form would expire on Wednesday, 11th May 2022 and that unless the INEC and AGF are ordered to maintain ‘status ante bellum’ as at May 5 when he filed the suit, he would be made to vacate office before his form would be accepted by the appropriate authority.
However, in a brief ruling, Monday, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed turned down the request for the order, hence ordered him to put the defendants on notice and also serve court processes on the defendants.
Justice Mohammed ordered the defendants to appear before him on May 12 and show cause on why the request should not be granted.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 instituted on his behalf, 5th May 2022, by the Constitutional lawyer, Ozekhome, the defendants were the INEC and the AGF.
The plaintiff had in the originating summon prayed an order of the court that, he cannot be hindered, stopped or precluded from participating, voting or being voted for at the congress or prevention of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The court suit obviously marked the end of the myriad of speculations, hence strongly informing the general public that Emefiele is truly aspiring for the number-one position of the country come 2023.
One may then wonder why the CBN boss, over the weekend, denied that no presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms were bought on his behalf by some support and interest groups; knowing full well that the forms were allegedly purchased after he had filed the suit at the law court.
Without equivocations, Emefiele’s attitude of speaking from both sides of his mouth goes a long way to indicate that he’s ridiculing his personality and the position he presently occupies.
I wonder how Emefiele intends to carry out political campaigns over his presidential ambition while still occupying his current post as the country’s CBN Governor. What is really wrong with Africans; are we under spell or something?
The request by sane Nigerians is very simple; Emefiele ought to jettison his current position and pursue his political aspiration. He can’t be playing active and partisan politics, and still occupies such a critical and sensitive post as the governor of the country’s apex bank.
It’s indeed high time Emefiele stopped playing on the intelligence and intellectual ability of over 200 million Nigerians.