Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, faces an uncertain future as the Federal Government has on Thursday, May 12, mandated the resignation of the heads of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), parastatals, and ambassadors with political ambitions.
President Muhammadu Buhari issued this directive via a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
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The circular, sighted by MDB, with reference number SGF/OP/ I/S.3/XII/ 173 was titled, ‘Ministers, heads of government agencies, ambassadors and other appointees with political ambitions to resign.’
In essence, this mandate will affect Emefiele, who had approached a court on Monday, May 9, in order to obtain a injunction to run for president of any political party while serving as the governor (CBN).
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In a case filed in the Federal High Court in Abuja on May 5, Emefiele claimed that no legislation exempted him from contesting any political party’s primary election as a sitting CBN governor.
The plaintiff’s lawyer said;
The plaintiff is legally competent to contest the primaries of any political parties while still serving as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in so far as he gives 30 days’ notice of his resignation, withdrawal from the services of the CBN as its governor in accordance with the provisions of section 167 and 318 of the constitution.
Nonetheless, the circular stated that President Buhari acknowledges the intent of some members of the Federal Executive Council, Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies, Parastatals to contest the upcoming elections.
The circular stressed;
Consequently, Mr President has directed that the affected office holders to run for various offices in the 2023 General Elections, should tender their resignation on or before Monday, the 16th of May, 2022.
Specifically, the circular supplanted the earlier mandate directed only at the members of the Federal Executive Council.
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It added;
For the avoidance of doubt, the directive affects all Ministers, Heads and Members of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies and Parastatals of Government, Ambassadors as well as other political appointees who desire to contest for elective offices.
