Politics
2023: Court joins PDP, lawyers in Emefiele’s suit
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been joined in the suit by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to secure his right to vie for the presidency in 2023.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, joined PDP and two lawyers as interest parties in the suit.
Emefiele had in the suit urged the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation from disqualifying him from contesting for the presidential ticket of any political party of his choice ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He had expressed the desire to pursue his presidential ambition, while still occupying his position as the governor of the apex bank.
The PDP and the two lawyers, John Aikpokpo-Martins and Olakunle Ebun, applied to be joined as interested parties in the suit.
The two lawyers applied to be joined in the suit on behalf of a non-governmental organisation – Save Nigeria Our Fatherland.
READ ALSO: PDP demands Emefiele’s resignation for flirting with APC
However, one of the defendants, the AGF objected to PDP’s application to be joined in the suit.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed dismissed the AGF’s objection on the ground that he does not have the right to oppose, especially since Emefiele and INEC had expressed neutrality on the matter.
“The plaintiff who should have opposed the joinder has conceded it. The joinder applications are hereby granted,” the judge said.
He ordered Emefiele’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), to file and serve amended court documents on the defendants to reflect the new parties to the suit.
The AGF was represented by Dipo Okpeseyi and while Sabastin Hon stood in for the PDP.
The CBN governor had last week picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination and expression of interest forms to signify his interest in the 2023 presidential race.
The development had however sparked angry reactions from Nigerians with many demanding his resignation or outright removal as CBN governor for involvement in partisan politics while still in office.
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