A human rights lawyer, Ebun-Oluwa Adegboruwa (SAN) has mocked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over his presidential aspiration.
Naija News had reported that a group of farmers purchased the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Emefiele.
The CBN Governor, in a swift response, claimed that he had not decided on the presidential race and would purchase the forms by himself if he decided to run for the presidency.
Emefiele, however, headed to the Federal High Court, Abuja Division to ask that he should be declared eligible to run for presidency without resigning as the CBN chief.
In a statement on Monday, Adegboruwa advised Emefiele to stop dreaming of contesting for the office of the President of Nigeria while he is still the apex bank boss.
In the statement titled: ‘The comedy of Emefiele’s case’, the senior lawyer disclosed that any case to determine Emefiele’s status or eligibility to seek elective office should be filed at the National Industrial Court.
Adegboruwa said Emefiele’s APC membership portends danger to the country’s elections and also puts at risk the safety of INEC materials in CBN vaults.
He said, “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 the election while still holding on to his office. It is an insult to our collective psyche as a people.
“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.”
This article was originally published on Nigeria News