A Delta State High Court sitting in Kwale, Delta State, has vacated an order restraining the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from removing Mr Godwin Emefiele as governor over his presidential ambition ahead of the 2023 general elections under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court ruled on Tuesday that the order of May 5, which restrained the CBN board from relieving him of his plum job, “is hereby deemed vacated and set aside.”
It will be recalled that Justice DC Maidoh of the court had granted an order restraining the Board of CBN and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from halting Emefiele from seeking an elective office.
Justice Maidoh in the judgement secretly delivered had granted the order and adjourned the case to May 25.
However, in a fresh court judgement on Tuesday, the court set aside the judgement Emefiele was banking on to perpetuate himself in office.
The court documents, posted on the social media by renowned human rights lawyer, Chidi Odinkalu, reads: “#Breaking: The High Court of Delta State sitting in Kwale has discharged the order restraining the Board of @cenbank from firing the criminal & bandit, #EmefiOle, @GodwinIEmefiele, who has taken the #CBN hostage. So, now, we insist #MeffyMustGoToJail.”
Emiefele had, through a proxy, Augustine Eddiego, approached the court asking, for “an order restraining the defendants from treating the provision of Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 as amended as a bar on the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from seeking political offices pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice herein in this suit which borders on the interpretation and supremacy of the 1999 CFRN.”
In essence, Section 9 provision of the CBN Act says: “the Governor and the Deputy Governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the Bank and, while holding office, shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation whether remunerated or not, except such personal or charitable causes, as may be determined by the Board.