A legal practitioner and the Convener, The Green Alliance, Barr Wale Fapohunda has said there is no law stopping Mr Godwin Emefiele from contesting for the office of the president while still in office as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor.
Tribune Online gathered that there have been reports and comments on the possibility and legality of the serving Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Emefiele contesting for the position of the President while in office.
Fapohunda stated that it is possible for the Governor to contest because he has not been disqualified by Section 137 of the 1999 CFRN as amended.
The legal luminary made this known in a statement issued to Tribune Online on Saturday morning.
He explained that the constitution has more than enough enabled him to do so in the exercise of his constitutional rights.
The Convener stated that the hiatus stemmed from the deliberate misinterpretation of Section 9 of the CBN Act.
Fapohunda quoted Section 9 of the CBN Act as ‘The Governor and the Deputy Governor 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 and charitable causes as may be determined by the Board and which do not conflict with or detract from their full time duties.
“There have been statements as to the effect that Dr. Emefiele is not entitled to seek election into the office of the president while still occupying the office of the governor of the apex Bank.
“The truth is that there is no provision of our law stopping Dr. Emefiele from seeking election into the office of the president while in office, provided he has not been disqualified by Section 137 of the 1999 CFRN as amended.
“Rather, the constitution has more than enough enabled him to do so in the exercise of his constitutional rights.
“A lot of these ignorance stems from the deliberate misinterpretation of Section 9 of the CBN Act.
“Section 9 of the CBN Act provides thus:
“The Governor and the Deputy Governor 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 and charitable causes as may be determined by the Board and which do not conflict with or detract from their full time duties.
“Clearly from the above provision, the CBN Governor or Deputy Governor cannot be involved in any other employment or vocation while in office,” he said.
The lawyer also explained that seeking election into the office of the president of Nigeria is neither an employment nor vocation, adding that the constitution is clear on rights of association, and rights to seek elective positions.
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