Tobi Adebayo
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other civil society organisations to join the case involving the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele over his 2023 presidential ambition.
ThisNigeria reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja rejected the request of Emefiele to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami from preventing him to run for the office of the president in 2023.
Reacting to the news, Adegboruwa, in an opinion piece titled “Comedy of Emefiele’s case”, said that the CBN boss should squash the dream of contesting in any election as long as he holds the position.
“By the decision of the Supreme Court in Akinlade v INEC, there is no competent suit filed by Mr. Emefiele pending before the court for adjudication.
“The affidavit in Support of the Originating Summons and indeed the Affidavit of urgency, were both deposed to by counsel on his behalf, in flagrant violation of Rule 20 of RPC.
“An Originating Summons cannot be determined in the Federal High Court without a competent affidavit in support thereof.
“By his status, Emefiele is an employee of the CBN. Any case to determine his status or eligibility should be filed at the National Industrial Court. So long as Emefiele earns a salary as a CBN employee, he should not dream of contesting elections while still holding on to his office. It is an insult to our collective psyche as a people.
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“Sensitive election materials are always kept in CBN offices nationwide by INEC, unknown to Nigerians that Emefiele as Governor of CBN had been a politician all his life.
“The political party that owns the presidential ticket that Emefiele wants to grab is not a party in his court case, contrary to extant laws and practice.
“I urge the Nigerian Bar Association, Election Situation Room, SERAP and other civil society organizations to apply to the court to join EMEFIELE’S case and put an end to this joke,” the piece read.
