The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, on Saturday, said he was looking to God for direction on whether to contest or not for the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket in the primary scheduled for the end of the month.
He also stated that going into the contest would mean drawing down on his “hard-earned savings” of the past 35 years of service.
Emefiele’s reaction came barely 24 hours after a group of farmers and business people obtained the N100m nomination and expression of interest forms on his behalf at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, venue of the sale of forms.
The group urged the CBN boss to run for President.
But tweeting on Saturday, Emefiele said he was still unsure whether or not to officially declare his intention to run. He noted that the decision would be clarified before Tuesday’s deadline for the purchase and return of forms.
He tweeted, “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 the 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.”
Ezekwesili, Tambuwal, AAC call for Emelife’s resignation
A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has asked the CBN boss to “stop playing hide and seek” over his intention to be Nigeria’s next President.
Ezekwesili, who is also the leader of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, stated on her Twitter handle that Emelife should resign from his position in order to face his presidential ambition. She lamented that doubling as both a presidential aspirant and governor of the apex bank portends danger for the health of the country’s economy.
She tweeted, “I just read your waffling neither-here-nor-there tweet reacting to news of your payment of N100m for the APC nomination form for the 2023 presidential election. Seems you did not read what the APC spokesperson said to @Bloomberg. Resign. Stop embarrassing the country. Stop.
“This is for you. Time to end your low-grade hide-and-seek game that dangerously toys with the monetary authority of this country and its people. Resign.
“It is the legitimate aspiration to seek to be President of Nigeria but resign from CBN to pursue it.”
In his reaction, the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to immediately sack Emefiele.
Tambuwal, who is also a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, told party delegates in Jalingo, Taraba State, where he went to solicit their support to become the presidential candidate of the party, said Emefiele’s open affiliation with the APC was dangerous for the country.
Meanwhile, the African Action Congress has asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to fire Emefiele following rumours that he had decided to contest the presidency.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, AAC, Femi Adeyeye, titled, ‘All Nigerians must rise against the brazen insult on our intelligence’, the party warned that the citizens would rise in protest should it be true that the CBN governor had decided to contest the number one seat in the country.
“The news making the rounds that the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has picked the APC nomination form to join the presidential race is another confirmation that the President, Muhammadu Buhari, has enthroned corruption instead of fighting it.
“It is also shameful that the party Mr Buhari leads, the APC, cannot advise the CBN politician appropriately, since it’s obvious that he lacks proper counsel.
“Godwin Emefiele’s interest to run for President, while still in office, is both a national insult to citizens, who believe in the rule of law and a joke taken too far. The promise of this infamous regime to fight corruption has been brazenly thrown to the dogs.
“It is to this end that we in the African Action Congress call for the immediate sack of Godwin Emefiele. His arrest and prosecution by the EFCC and ICPC must also follow. He also has questions to answer at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.”