Emefiele withdraws suit seeking eligibility to contest presidential election

Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has withdrawn a suit asking the federal high court in Abuja to declare him eligible to contest the 2023 presidential election.

Emefiele had, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 and filed on May 5, asked the court to declare him eligible to contest the presidential election.

The suit was filed two days before the CBN governor said he had not made up his mind to run for office of the president.

The court had thereafter summoned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) — listed as defendants — to appear before it to show cause why Emefiele’s request should not be granted.

At the court on Monday, S.T. Maliki, counsel to Emefiele, told Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge, that the motion to withdraw the suit was filed on May 16.

Maliki added that he has been asked by his client to withdraw the suit.

“Pursuant to the instruction of the plaintiff (Emefiele), we filed a notice of discontinuance dated and filed May 16, 2022,” he said,

“And the said notice of discontinuance was served on all the defendants on that said date of May 16, 2022, which proof of service is before your lordship.”

In his ruling, the presiding judge held that Emefiele had the right to file the notice of withdrawal.

The judge also said the notice of discontinuance was valid and accordingly struck out.