The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja has issued an order for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Olayemi Cardoso, to appear before it without fail on Tuesday.
As reported by NAN, the governor is required to provide explanations regarding the role of the apex bank in the off-cycle election that took place in Kogi on November 11, 2023.
Headed by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, the three-member panel of justices also warned the CBN’s Director of Corporate Service of possible repercussions.
These developments came after an application was made by Alex Izinyon, SAN, who represents Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, the second respondent in a petition filed by the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and its candidate in the state’s governorship election.
Previously, the tribunal had issued a subpoena on April 18, compelling the CBN governor or any of its officers to testify regarding allegations made by Gov. Ododo that the petition against him was filed outside the legal timeframe of 21 days.
Despite the directive for the CBN governor or an official to testify on April 19, no representative from the apex bank attended the hearing.
Following the testimony given by witnesses on Monday, Paul Daudu, representing the governor, informed the panel that the case was to be handed over to another member of the legal team for the next adjourned date.
Izinyon then clarified that the witnesses presented by Daudu were the only ones scheduled for the day.
Noting that the CBN management had indicated unavailability until April 26 in a letter to the tribunal, Izinyon stressed the importance of resolving the subpoena issue before proceeding further.
He criticized the letter from the apex bank to the tribunal as an act of contempt, emphasizing the significance of the subpoena being in the name of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
Urging the CBN team to be present at the tribunal on Tuesday to provide evidence, Izinyon emphasized the time-sensitivity of the matter, noting that failure to appear would be duly recorded by the court.
Other legal representatives aligned with Izinyon’s stance, with the tribunal eventually ruling that the CBN governor and director of Corporate Service must appear following the contemptuous behavior of the apex bank.
The proceedings were adjourned until April 23 to continue the second respondent’s defense and address the CBN’s non-compliance.
Additionally, Izinyon mentioned their request for the record of proceedings to ensure accuracy, which the tribunal confirmed would be provided to the second respondent’s team.
Earlier in the day, witnesses from Kogi testified in defense of Ododo’s election victory.