The suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has filed a suit before a federal court in the capital city of Abuja challenging his suspension by President Goodluck Jonathan last week.
The local media Wednesday quoted Sanusi as telling the court, through his lawyers, that his suspension resulted from some discrepancies he discovered in respect of the amounts repatriated to the federation account from the proceed of crude oil sales between January 2012 and July 2013.
He said his suspension by President Jonathan was aimed at punishing him for the disclosures, and that the President violated the law when he unilaterally suspended him instead of seeking the Senate’s backing.
Consequently, Sanusi urged the court to restrain President Jonathan, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police from giving effect to his suspension from office as the CBN Governor, pending the determination of his suit.
He also asked for an interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from obstructing, disturbing, stopping or preventing him from in any manner whatsoever from performing the functions of his office as the Governor of the CBN and enjoying, in full, the statutory powers and privileges attached to the office.
PANA reports that the suit is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing.
Sanusi was suspended as CBN Governor last Thursday by the Presidency over alleged financial recklessness, an action that has generated a huge outcry especially from critics who said the President violated the law through his unilateral action.
But the President, who has appointed an acting CBN Governor and proposed a replacement for Sanusi, insists he acted within the law.
