Sanusi charged President to Court

The suspended Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, has dragged President
Goodluck Jonathan before an Abuja Federal High
Court in a suit he filed to challenge his
suspension from office.
In the application filed on his behalf by his lawyer,
Kola Awodein, SAN, Sanusi is asking the court to
restrain the President, the Attorney General of the
Federation and the Inspector General of Police
from giving effect to his purported suspension
from office as the CBN governor, pending the
determination of the suit.
He is equally asking the court to make an order of
interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants
“from obstructing, disturbing, stopping or
preventing him, in any manner whatsoever, from
performing the functions of his office as the
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and
enjoying in full, the statutory powers and
privileges attached to the office.”
Urging the court to expeditiously grant his
interlocutory application, Sanusi maintained that
any delay may cause irreparable and serious
damage and mischief on him in the exercise of his
statutory duties as the CBN governor.
He stated “The President’s continuing unlawful
interference with the management and
administration of the apex bank, unless arrested,
poses grave danger to Nigeria’s economy.”
He insisted that the danger his suspension posed
to the economy was enough reason for the court
to grant his application and as a result make an
order for status quo ante bellum to enable him to
return to his office as the CBN governor.
In an affidavit deposed in support of the suit,
Sanusi linked his suspension to the discrepancies
he reported in the remittances of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation to the Federation
Account.
He explained that in the course of his duties as
the CBN governor, he discovered certain
discrepancies in respect of amounts paid into the
Federation Account from the proceeds of crude oil
sales between the period of January 2012 and
July 2013.
He added that he expressed concern in respect of
the said discrepancies and also informed the
National Assembly of same “because they affect
the revenue of the federation and the national
economy.”
Sanusi added that in purporting to suspend him
from office, Jonathan was punishing him for the
disclosures he made.
Sanusi stressed that the President did not
approach nor obtain the support of the Senate
before suspending him.
He disclosed that some senators, particularly a
former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola
Saraki, had informed him that Jonathan did not
consult the upper legislative chamber before
taking the action.
“I have been informed, and I verily believe the
information given to me by Senator Bukola Saraki
to be true and correct that the Senate did not give
the President any support for my purported
suspension and removal from office as the
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he said.
Sanusi further stated that his purported
suspension was contrary to provisions of the
Central Bank of Nigeria Act relating to the
appointment and removal of the CBN governor.
According to him, his purported suspension
amounted to “unlawful interference in the
administration and management of the apex bank
and is illegal, null and void.”
He therefore urged the court, in the interest of
justice, to grant his reliefs.
The suit has not been assigned for hearing.