In a rare, but dramatic political development, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has stormed a Federal High Court in Abuja, with one request – allow me to contest the 2023 presidential election.
Finally putting paid to speculations about his ambition, for which even hours ago, he said was too serious a job that he was still consulting with his God, Emefiele moved to the courts to remove the only probable impediment to his aspiration – his job, which some Nigerians argue precluded him from even partisan politics as a card-carrying member of a political party, not to talk of contesting an election.
He did so, via a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja through Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on his behalf, praying for a declaration that he is not bound to resign to participate in a primary election to select a presidential candidate.
Emefiele, who is the sole plaintiff in the suit, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation as respondents, urged the court to determine whether Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022 is not inconsistent with Section 137 (1)(G) of the 1999 Constitution.
Part of the grounds of the application reads: “That the plaintiff has aspiration to seek election to the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and participate as a candidate in the upcoming 2023 elections.
“That section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022 provides that: ‘No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election’.
“That the plaintiff verily believes that he is not affected by these provisions, as he is not a political appointee as envisaged by the above provisions of section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“That the Central Bank of Nigeria is entirely (100 per cent) owned by the Nigerian Federal Government, and therefore constitutes a government agency with the meaning and intendment of Section 318 of 1999 Constitution.”