Politics

SAN Threatens 1,000 Cases Against Emefiele Over APC Form

Published

4 years ago

May 11, 2022

More condemnations on Tuesday trailed the move by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to contest in the 2023 presidential election on the All Progressives Congress while presiding over the apex bank.

A legal practitioner, Dr. Remi Olatubora (SAN), on Tuesday threatened to galvanise Nigerians and the civil society to institute not less than 1,000 cases against Emefiele, should he go ahead with his 2023 presidential ambition on the platform of the APC.

According to him, he would ensure that in the next 10 years, the CBN governor would be jumping from one court to the other and inundate him with litigation, “the kind that has never happened in the history of legal profession in Nigeria.”

Emefiele had in his clarification said he had not taken the decision to run for the Presidency in 2023.

On Monday, his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 challenging the legality of Section 84(12) of the amended Electoral Act and to prevent its application to him (a government appointee) in his aspiration to vie for the APC Presidential ticket.

But Olatubora, a former Commissioner for Education in Ondo State during the administration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, in an interview with The PUNCH said Emefiele’s lawyers should be prepared for a lot of job.

He said, “If Emefiele, the governor of CBN who is entrusted with the public finance of Nigeria, who is the custodian of our foreign exchange, who is the chairman of the Bankers Committee could brazenly come out to tell members of the public that he is a member of APC and goes ahead to collect N100 million expression of interest form; if he submits that form, we will ensure that in the next 10 years, he will be jumping from one court to the other.

“We will inundate him with litigation, the kind that has never happened in the history of legal profession in Nigeria.

“He should expect up to 1,000 cases and his lawyers should be prepared for a lot of job. He should expect up to 1,000 cases in different courts by different interests that his coming into politics will infract on their rights and it will be coordinated and we will ensure that in the next 10 years, he will be jumping from one court to the other.”

A former Deputy Governor of the CBN, Prof Kingsley Mogahalu, also took a dim view of Emefiele’s action, describing it as a breach of the CBN Act.

He accused Emefiele of using public office to attain his personal interest, urging Nigerians not to reward such an act.

Mogahalu, who is an aspirant under the African Democratic Congress, spoke while picking up the expression of interest form at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “I weep for this nation with the development at the CBN. It is deeply wrong to play politics while in office. It is a violation of ethics, moral and the law. What we are seeing is the privatisation of public office for personal gains.”

“The CBN act is clear; Section (9) states that the CBN governor and his deputy should not engage in other employment of vocation. A vocation is something that could take up your time; it may not be a job, it may not be something you could put your hands on, but something that your have your mind and heart in, apart from your duties.

“For the CBN Governor, his heart and mind is in politics up to the extent of going to a law court to seek support for his ambition. First of all, I want to say Nigerians have no business in rewarding this massive breach of the rule of law because the action of the CBN governor shows a contempt of the rule of law. The individual in question has been monumentally incompetent and Nigerians should not support incompetence.”

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project said it was considering legal options to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to move election from the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The group said its action was predicted on the involvement of Emefiele in partisan politics.

Also, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties has called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to sack Emefiele over his involvement in politics.

Speaking during a press briefing held alongside the Coalition of National Civil Society Organizations, the Secretary General of the group, Chief Willy Ezugwu and the National Secretary for the CSOs, Ali Abacha, insisted that Emefiele’s involvement in politics was in clear violation of the Public Service rules and the CBN Act.

The group threatened that it would persuade serving judicial officers to pick up nomination forms from political parties of their choice, should Buhari fail to sack Emefiele.

It stated, “Their intention was to cause a breach of peace as a licence for security agencies to give the protesters the #EndSARS treatment. In this light, the hired hoodlums were to sneak into the crowd of protesters and attack the CBN headquarters with weapons while a counter-protest was also arranged for the same day.

“Our findings revealed that Mr Godwin Emefiele joined the APC and became a card-carrying member of the party in 2019, which proved that the CBN governor’s presidential ambition was premeditated and has been in his plans before 2019 when he eventually joined partisan politics. This is contrary to Mr. Godwin Emefiele’s position that his focus was on his job at the CBN.”

Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents on Tuesday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the continued stay of the materials with the CBN was risky, adding that they must be prevented from unlawful interference.

He said, “Yes, we are considering our legal options to compel INEC to move sensitive election materials in the custody of the CBN, in light of the involvement of CBN Governor in partisan politics.

Meanwhile, the National Youth Council of Nigeria has protested against what it described as the denigration of the CBN Act by Emefiele, whose presidential ambition for the 2023 election has generated a national outcry.

While declaring that the CBN governor has dragged a revered institution of government into partisan politics, the NYCN said it shall consult widely and take appropriate actions.

The President of NYCN, Solomon Adodo, stated these during the launch of the Youth-Run Campaign in Abuja on Tuesday with the theme, ‘Youth rising for a united Nigeria.’

He said, “In the light of the current developments of searching for credible leaders at all levels we herein state the following :

“Our doors are open to all aspirants across all party lines for proper consultation. Aspirants must show their clear plans for the youth and seal a pact of partnership to ensure youth potentials are moved to productivity.”

We’ll await court order to decide Emefiele’s fate, says Presidency

The Presidency on Tuesday said it would wait for the decision of the court before deciding the fate of the CBN governor.

But the Presidency on Tuesday said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), would not sack the CBN chief until the court reached a final decision on the issue on May 12.

Speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said, “Since this matter is before a judge, we will rather wait for the court to decide.”

Politics

2027: NDC Unveils Electoral Committee Members For Primaries

Published

6 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has released list of Electoral Committee Members to Conduct primary election.

The exercise is for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship and Presidential Primaries across all States in Nigeria and the FCT.

This was contained in a statement posted on its verified X handle on Thursday.

The party had provided updates concerning its upcoming Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly primaries.

According to the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas,
and Barr. Ikenna Alex-Morgan Enekweizu, National Secretary, the primaries are confirmed to take place across the nation on May 29, 2026, adhering to the previously established timetable of May 28 and 29.

Politics

APC: Fubara Has Been Treated Badly, It’s Dangerous For Tinubu – Otubanjo

Published

6 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The director of research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Femi Otubanjo, has said the treatment of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, in the just concluded All Progressives Congress’, APC, primary poses political danger to President Bola Tinubu.

Otubanjo stated this on Thursday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he also criticised the role being played by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the political affairs of Rivers State and the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the handling of Fubara’s political crisis remains one of the most surprising developments in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Otubanjo further argued that Wike, who is not a member of the APC, appears to be dictating political activities within the ruling party in Rivers State.The research director warned that the current political arrangement in Rivers State could negatively affect Tinubu politically, insisting that Wike was pursuing his personal agenda rather than that of the president.

He said: “The treatment of Fubara must be one of the American wonders of Nigerian politics. Fubara has been badly treated. We have a situation in which Nyesom Wike who is not even in the APC is taking the primary decision in the APC. I hope the tactical team of President Bola Tinubu is not sleeping.

“The reality is that what they have done is very dangerous for Tinubu. What has emerged in Rivers today is that Wike is pursuing his own agenda, not Tinubu’s agenda inspite of PBAT and all of that combination.”

“If Wike really wants to pursue Tinubu’s agenda, he must retain Fubara.”

Politics

In Defence Of Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe: The Generational Shift Reshaping Edo Politics

Published

1 day ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

By DAN Osa-Ogbegie

For decades, Edo politics remained trapped within a narrow and predictable cycle of political recycling. The same ageing actors moved endlessly from one office to another, from one administration to the next, and from one political alignment to another, as though leadership in Edo State had become the exclusive inheritance of a permanent political aristocracy.

Meanwhile, thousands of intelligent, energetic, and capable young Edo people watched helplessly from the margins while opportunities for leadership, governance, party administration, and public service remained tightly controlled by individuals whose political relevance dated back several decades.

That unhealthy political culture is now gradually changing.

Today, one of the most important political transformations taking place within the All Progressives Congress in Edo State is the deliberate transition from recycled political gerontocracy to a younger generation of political actors. That transition is unfolding under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State and Leader of the APC in Edo State, together with the State Chairman of the party, Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Predictably, such a shift has unsettled entrenched interests.

Those who became accustomed to monopolising political relevance naturally feel threatened by the emergence of a younger generation that is increasingly assertive, visible, influential, and institutionally empowered. Yet, history teaches a simple lesson: no political structure survives indefinitely without renewal.

No serious political party can continue recycling the same exhausted political machinery forever while expecting innovation, grassroots energy, modern governance ideas, and long-term political sustainability.

That reality appears to be clearly understood by Governor Monday Okpebholo and Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Much of the criticism unfairly directed at Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe in recent times stems from the fact that he has become one of the visible faces of this generational transition within Edo APC. Beneath the noise, propaganda, and political bitterness lies an undeniable truth: the party is consciously opening spaces for younger people in ways not seen for many years.

From the youthful Deputy Chairman of APC in Edo State, Sylvester Aigboboh, to several younger commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the State Executive Council, board chairmen, local government administrators, and strategic appointees across government, the evidence of deliberate political renewal is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

In Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Hon. Austin Imafidon has emerged as one of the young faces of focused governance and grassroots administration. Beyond politics, he has already established himself successfully in business, bringing into governance the mindset of productivity, enterprise, and modern administrative engagement.

In Etsako, Hon. Sunny Ekpeson has continued to attract national attention as the youngest ALGON Chairman in Nigeria, representing a clear departure from the era where local government leadership was treated as the permanent preserve of ageing political operators disconnected from younger demographics.

In Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Hon. Eric Osawaru represents another example of the younger political generation now entrusted with leadership responsibilities, while in Oredo Local Government Area, Engr. Gabriel Iduseri equally reflects the growing confidence being reposed in younger administrators within the APC structure.

In Owan, Hon. Aitalegbe Ernest, popularly known as “China Boy,” has also emerged as one of the prominent young political figures gaining traction as the incoming Chairman of the local government, further reinforcing the expanding generational transition currently taking shape across Edo State.

The same pattern is visible across government institutions and strategic agencies.

Pastor Stanley Dave Ighodaro, a successful entrepreneur with thriving business interests in Europe, now heads the Edo State Parks and Gardens Agency. His emergence reflects an increasingly important shift towards bringing professionally exposed and globally minded younger individuals into governance and public administration.

Similarly, Kassim Otono, who serves as Special Adviser on Oil and Gas to the Executive Governor of Edo State, represents another example of younger technocratic involvement within the present administration. His inclusion within such a strategic sector underscores the growing confidence being placed in younger professionals and politically aware technocrats within government.

This is how enduring institutions are built.

A political party that refuses to regenerate itself eventually becomes intellectually stagnant, structurally weak, and electorally disconnected from evolving social realities.

Governor Monday Okpebholo deserves commendation for recognising that governance in a rapidly changing society cannot remain permanently tied to political methods and leadership assumptions developed several decades ago. Contemporary governance demands adaptability, technological awareness, stronger grassroots engagement, administrative energy, and a deeper connection with younger populations.

Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe equally deserves credit for helping stabilise the party while managing this difficult but necessary transition process. Generational shifts are never easy within political systems historically dominated by established interests. Resistance is inevitable. Political resentment is expected. Internal anxieties naturally emerge whenever old monopolies begin to weaken.

Leadership, however, requires courage.

The recently concluded primaries further revealed this evolving direction within the APC. The emergence of candidates such as Rt. Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Osazee Igbinovia, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu, Omosede Igbinedion, Sir Lucky Eseigbe, and Odianosen Okojie reflects a growing political philosophy that increasingly values capacity, grassroots relevance, contemporary appeal, and generational continuity.

Equally symbolic is the emergence of several young Acting Local Government Council Chairmen who are now candidates of the party in the forthcoming local government elections. That development sends a powerful message across Edo State that political participation is gradually becoming more accessible to younger people with competence, commitment, and organisational value.

For too long, many young people in Edo politics were reduced to political spectators, social media defenders, praise singers, or election-day foot soldiers while actual power remained tightly guarded elsewhere. Such a model was never sustainable.

A society that continuously sidelines its younger generation ultimately weakens its own political future.

The ongoing transition within Edo APC does not amount to hostility towards elders or experienced political actors. Experience remains valuable. Elder statesmen still possess institutional memory and political wisdom that younger actors can benefit from immensely. Mentorship, however, must never become political suffocation. Guidance must never evolve into permanent political domination.

Every generation deserves the opportunity to participate meaningfully in shaping the future it will eventually inherit.

That is precisely why the current direction of the APC leadership in Edo State deserves objective acknowledgement rather than emotional hostility.

Many of those attacking Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe today are not truly angry about party administration. Their deeper discomfort arises from the reality that political influence is gradually shifting away from old centres of control towards a newer generation of actors who may no longer depend entirely on traditional political gatekeepers for relevance or survival.

Societies evolve.

Political cultures evolve.

Leadership itself evolves.

No generation owns political power forever.

Ultimately, the future of Edo State cannot be built exclusively around recycled political veterans whose greatest political moments belong largely to the past. A forward-looking society must continuously create room for younger leadership, newer ideas, fresh administrative energy, and modern political thinking.

That future is already unfolding within the APC in Edo State.

History may eventually remember Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe and Governor Monday Okpebholo as central figures in the difficult but necessary political transition that began moving Edo away from recycled political dominance towards a broader and younger leadership culture capable of preparing the state for a different era.

Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based legal practitioner and public intellectual from Uhunmwode Local Government Area.