Presidential Ambition: Court Asked To Sack Emefiele As CBN Governor

A Federal High court sitting in Abuja has been urged to declare Mr Godwin Emefiele not fit and proper person to continue to occupy the position of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on account of his interest to vie for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The plaintiffs, a non-governmental organisation, Rethink Africa Foundation and a businessman, Mr Moses Otumba, in a suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/623/2022, urged the court to direct President Muahammadu Buhari to remove Emefiele as CBN Governor for breach of the CBN Act, the Public Service Rules and Extant laws.

In a suit by Originating Motion filed on May 9, 2022, filed on behalf of their counsel, Chike Stanley Okonma, the Plaintiffs want the court to declare that the CBN governor cannot continue in office by his association with partisan political parties which robs the CBN of the independence granted by extant Laws.

“A declaration that Godwin Emefiele is no longer fit and proper to continue in office as Governor of the CBN by his association with partisan political interest.

“A declaration that the incumbent CBN Governor, who has been openly canvassed and paraded as a contestant for a partisan political office is by this action robbed of public confidence as to his impartiality in discharging the function of his office with respect to currency dealing, monetary policies, financial intermediation to banks and consumers, business enterprises and the general public.”

They also want the court to declare that by engaging in partisan politics either by himself or through proxies, friends or associates by any name called to the extent of appearing in APC campaign posters, billboards and campaign vehicles, Emefiele can no longer impartially continue to act in a professional manner as adviser to the Government of Nigeria on financial and monetary policies, and as regulator of the financial sector of Nigeria.

By the community reading and interpretation of Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act and Section 66 (1), 107 (f), 137 (1) (g) 142 (2), 182 and 187(2) of the 1999 Constitution, they said, a sitting CBN Governor is precluded from partisan political interests whilst still in office and prayed the court for an order directing the President to immediately sack Emefiele from office to protect the independence of the apex court

They told the court that their application was brought in the interest of the public, economic management and prosperity of every Nigerian and that, it is important to grant the reliefs being sought, for the sake of justice, equity and to protect the sanctity of Nigerian laws, and Constitution of the country.