I Can Run For Presidency Without Vacating Position As CBN Gov, Emiefele Tells Court

I Can Run For Presidency Without Vacating Position As CBN Gov, Emiefele Tells Court

*Says Section 84 of the Electoral Act does not affect him

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emiefele has told a Federal High 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.

Emiefele, through his lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) 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.

Arguing an exparte motion filed due to the urgency of the matter, Ozekhome said, his client is the current CBN governor, and he is interested in running for the office of the president of the country in the election scheduled for February next year.

According to the learned silk, Emiefele is in dilemma if he can run and when must he leave his office before he can?

“The plaintiff, being a public servant and not a political appointee, cannot be caught in the web of Section 84(12) of the amended Electoral Act” Ozekhome argued and further added that the section of the Electoral Act has been voided by a Federal High Court in Umuahia and that the matter is on appeal at the moment.

He also prayed the court for an order of interim injunction stopping the defendants from further action in the matter and abridgement bif time as the primaries for the for the presidential elections ends on May 30, 2022.

INEC, AGF and three others are joined as defendants in the suit.

 

…Details soon