A high court in Kwale, Delta state has granted an order restraining the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from stopping Godwin Emiefele, the CBN governor, from seeking an elective position.
Emefiele, in an application filed on May 5, had asked the court for an order allowing him to stay in office while contesting the 2023 presidential election.
Daniel Maidoh, the presiding judge, in a judgement secretly delivered on Thursday, granted the order and adjourned the case to May 25.
“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 suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 and filed on May 5 before an Abuja federal high court, the CBN governor prayed the court to declare that he could participate in any political party’s presidential primary poll and only resign 30 days to the election.