In the past months, the CBN governor had delved into political activities and attracted public condemnation as a result of the roles he played.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, is presently perfecting plans to contest the governorship election in his home state, Delta, by 2023, SaharaReporters has gathered.
It was learnt that Emefiele, whose tenure as CBN governor was fraught with several infractions, unpopular policies and freezing of accounts of peaceful protesters, is considering vying for governorship so as to get immunity from probes after leaving office as CBN governor.
Top sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that at the centre of the CBN governor’s ambition plot is the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who had promised to give him support, having being a “good boy” to the government as the head of the CBN.
“Emefiele is working on his Delta State governorship ambition and encouraged by Malami whom he sells dollars to.
"Malami has told him he will need some immunity after leaving office and has to strive to win the election. So he is supporting Emefiele's ambition and the CBN governor is also doing Malami's bidding. You can recall his role during the #EndSARS activities." a top source explained.
In the past months, the CBN governor had delved into political activities and attracted public condemnation as a result of the roles he played.
On November 11, the CBN approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to freeze the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners, saying the funds in their accounts might have been linked to terrorist activities.
The CBN had in the second week of October 2020 frozen the 20 accounts and thereafter approached the court to seek an ex parte order to freeze the accounts.
In the case with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1384/2020, filed before Justice A. R. Mohammed, the CBN, however, made no mention of the fact that the 20 accounts were owned by persons involved in the #EndSARS protests, but told the court that the funds might have emanated from terrorist activities.
On December 2, the CBN pleaded with the court again to allow it to keep freezing the accounts.
But on February 10, 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the CBN to unfreeze the accounts of 20 individuals linked to the #EndSARS protests.
The judge, Ahmed Mohammed, issued the order unfreezing the accounts after the legal teams of both the CBN and defendants decided to end the case.
Also on November 20, 2020, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja approved the judicial review and order of mandamus to compel the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, among others, to provide details of financial donations received by the country in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the leave, seeking an order to let the CBN provide the plaintiff with information on the sources of the donations, how they are being applied, among others, amounted to a violation of the applicant’s rights under the Freedom of Information Act and the African Chatter on Human and People’s Rights.
The ruling was on an ex parte motion filed by a civil society with the CBN governor listed as sole respondent.
Also, on December 4, 2020, Emefiele as well as the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, were summoned by the House of Representatives over alleged illicit withdrawal of $21 billion from the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas Limited’s Dividends Account between 1999 and 2020.