Court orders CBN, INEC not to thwart Emefiele’s presidential bid

A high court in Kwale, Delta state, has issued an injunction prohibiting the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from preventing the CBN governor, Godwin Emiefele, from running for elected office.

Emefiele requested the court on May 5 for a ruling allowing him to remain in office while running in the 2023 presidential election.

The presiding judge, Daniel Maidoh, approved the order and delayed the case until May 25 in a privately delivered judgment on Thursday.

“The court upon reading through the motion papers and hearing C.N. Ofiah Esq. for the claimants/applicants ordered as follows: I have read the processes in this suit, the applicant has complied with order 39 of our rules,” the judge said.

“Applicants also deposed to an affidavit of urgency. From the processes before this court, I find that the said application at this stage has merit pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“In the circumstances, in line with order 39 rule 3 of our rules, this motion is hereby granted.

“The motion on notice is accordingly adjourned to 25/5/2022 for hearing. The applicant is to enter undertaking if the order sought ought not to have been made.”

Meanwhile, in another petition filed on May 5 before an Abuja federal high court, the CBN governor asked the court to rule that he may participate in any political party’s presidential primary election and only resign 30 days to the election.