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The Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, has said that he had not yet made a decision on joining the 2023 presidential race and would do so in the “next few days.”
Emefiele, under whom the apex bank had retrogressed and the national economy receded, said it was “patriots” who bought the All Progressives Congress party’s nomination forms for him, adding that he would use his own money to buy his nomination forms when he had made a decision to run for the number one office.
He said these in a series of tweets on Saturday.
The CBN governor had come under heavy criticism over the APC Presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms reportedly obtained for him.
He said, “I am humbled by the growing interest of those asking that I run for the Office of President in the 2023 general elections: I have not come to that decision. I note and salute the sacrifices of those farmers and patriots going as far as raising personal funds and offering me Presidential Nomination Forms: I thank them most profusely.
“However, should I answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination; I will use my own hard-earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my own Nomination Forms, without proxies in an open and transparent manner in full compliance with the laws and Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“And should I not run for elected office, I will continue to serve and sacrifice for the good people of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention: in the next few days The Almighty will so direct.”
SaharaReporters had on Friday reported that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately remove Emefiele, over his involvement in partisan politics.
Reacting in a tweet, SERAP urged Buhari to remove Emefiele as the latter acted contrary to section 9 of the CBN Act which forbids CBN governors and their deputies from engaging in politics.
The tweet reads, ”We urge President Buhari to exercise his power under section 11(2)(f) of the CBN Act to immediately remove the CBN governor Mr Godwin Emefiele over his engagement in partisan politics, contrary to Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act.
”Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act provides that “The Governor and the Deputy Governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the Bank and while holding office shall not engage in any full or part time employment or vocation.”
The same call was made by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and a host of other Nigerians and civic groups which viewed Emefiele’s interest in partisan politics as dangerous for someone superintending over the country’s apex bank and national economy.
