The ongoing clamour for the CBN Governor to join the presidential race
has been hit by a fresh offensive with a suit filed at the Rivers State
High Court yesterday seeking an order of the Court to disqualify the CBN
Governor from participating in the upcoming APC Presidential Primaries
on the grounds of his non eligibility to participate in the Primaries.
The Plaintiff NAAPAH THANKGOD BARILEDUM who is an APC member in Ward 4
of Khana LGA in Rivers State is asking the court in Suit number
PHC/1371/CS/2022 to disqualify the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele from
participating in the primaries on the grounds that he is not eligible to
participate in the process in view of the provisions of the 1999
Constitution, APC Constitution and the CBN Act which he has already
violated.
The Plaintiff is seeking for an exparte order to restrain the Governor
from participating in the primaries pending the final hearing of the
suit. The Plaintiff argued among other things that the CBN Governor has
not fulfilled the provisions of the CBN Act which would have allowed him
to have the legal right to have a valid membership of the APC before
participating in the Primaries. He asked the court to declare any
interest in the Presidential race by the CBN Governor a nullity.
The Court is also being asked to hear the matter urgently to avoid
jeopardizing the APC Presidential Primaries and the entire Party.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and his successor
in the Rivers State Government House, Governor Nyesom Wike are being
speculated by Emefiele supporters to be behind the Suit as both men from
Rivers State and are also Presidential aspirants in both the PDP and
APC.
Other Defendants in the Suit are the All Progressives Congress, APC and
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC sued as the 2nd and
3rd Defendants. The Plaintiff is seeking also to via exparte application
which is like to be heard this week to stop the CBN Governor .–
