Presidency: Resign As CBN Governor Now, Akeredolu, Others Tell Emefiele

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Raymond Mordi, Emmanuel Badejo and Osagie Otabor, Akure, The Nation

After months of playing hide and sick over his intention to contest the office of the President, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele finally came out from his cocoon.

Yesterday Emefiele came under vitriolic attacks after it was confirmed that a group had purchased the All Progressives Congress (APC) N100 million expression of interest and presidential nomination forms for him.

Critics, many of whom took to social media to vent their anger, demanded his immediate resignation from office for dabbling into politics in alleged contravention of the CBN Act of 2007.

They rejected claims that the forms were procured for him by a group of farmers and friends.

There was no response from Emefiele himself or his office yesterday on the issue.

Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu said Emefiele’s entry into the presidential race while remaining as CBN governor “portends great danger to the fragile economy of the country.”

Akeredolu said news of Emefiele’s buying of the nomination form “has been received with palpable disbelief and shock by many Nigerians.”

He added: “Rumours had been rife on the subterranean partisan activities linked to him through these shadowy characters in the recent weeks. Pictures of branded vehicles, ostensibly purchased for electioneering campaigns, were also posted on the social media. The audacious moves by those who claimed to be supporting this interest have been unsettling.

“This latest news confirms that the Governor may indeed be interested in immersing himself in the murky waters of politics like any other Nigerian with partisan interests. It is incontrovertible that Mr Emefiele enjoys a constitutionally protected right to belong to any group or association and participate fully, just as any Nigerian.

“It is, however, difficult to imagine that a person who occupies the exalted and sensitive office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria will be this brazen in actualising his ambition.

“There is no gain asserting the obvious. The combined effect of the Public Service Rules, CBN Act and the 1999 Constitution, as amended, exposes not only the oddity inherent in this brash exercise of presumed right to associate. It also confirms the illegality of the act should he proceed to submit the forms while occupying the seat as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Consequently, we admonish Mr Emefiele to leave the office, immediately, for him to pursue his interest. He cannot combine partisan politics with the very delicate assignment of his office. Should he refuse to quit, it becomes incumbent on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to remove him forthwith.

“This is a joke taken too far.”

Emefiele’s credibility on the line, he should resign, says Oyebode

Eminent law teacher, Prof. Akin Oyebode, said Emefiele risked his credibility by throwing his hat into the political ring.

“It’s a very risky terrain that he has landed himself. This is because the governor of the Central Bank should be non-partisan,” he said.

“Now that he has decided to throw his hat into the ring, it is incumbent on him to immediately quit that position.

“This is necessary because going forward, his opinions cannot be neutral or objective. Now, his opinions will tend to favour the political party of his choice.

“Secondly, his credibility is also on the line. He was known as a technocrat, who makes decisions on both fiscal and monetary. He will have to confront with that challenge, as people won’t take him serious on the job any longer.”

The Don, who declined giving expert opinion on what should be done to Emefiele, said since the matter is in the public court, the public would give their opinion on the proprietary or otherwise of his decision.

Emefiele’s interest to confuse South, Adebanjo

Leader of the Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, described Emefiele’s action as a ploy to confuse the South.

His words: “I have said it several times that the North does not want to relinquish the presidency, hence their political class have been doing all to scatter the South.

Though he said going by the principle of fairness and equity, the presidency should go to the South East, the South must not allow Emefiele’s interest to confuse it.

He said: “This is one of the cards the North is throwing at us in the South. And we should first, insist on the presidency, then, at the right time, we shall deal with any form of imposition.

“When did Emefiele join the APC? This is telling us that we down South must put on our thinking cap.”

He’s in order, says Okorie
A chieftain of the APC in Abia State, Chief Chekwas Okorie believes it is within the rights of Mr. Godwin Emefiele to seek the presidential ticket of the ruling party.

“As CBN governor in his second term, he may have decided to pursue his ambition in the political terrain. He is welcome to the motley crowd of aspirants in the APC,” Okorie told The Nation.

The founding national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) was not quite certain when Emefiele joined the ruling party, but he said: “He must have enrolled at one point or the other.

“As CBN governor initially appointed by the PDP administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, he must have been a member of the PDP. But, like many other politicians, he may have defected to the ruling party to boost his chances of being reappointed for a second term.”

The Abia APC chieftain said the permutation of most aspirants throwing their hats into the ring, including Emiefele, is that the APC will remain in power at the centre beyond 2023 and that they would be compensated by whosoever wins the election for the party afterwards.

His words: “I expect some kind of accommodation for all those who purchase the party’s nomination form but were not picked to fly the party’s flag for next year’s election. The APC holds some attraction as the ruling party at the centre. As a result, it will always enjoy the power of incumbency.

“Whether the party will win the election is another matter. But, at least, the government will give full backing to whosoever gets the party’s presidential ticket. President Buhari will also come out to campaign for the party’s candidate during the electioneering period.”

Nefertiti @firstladyship writing on Twitter said: “CBN Governor destroyed the Naira & institutionalized arbitrage in the forex market. He restricted Fintechs & blocked bank account of peaceful EndSARS protesters. So where did Godwin Emefiele get the N100m for his APC presidential form? Any limits to this N100m declaration madness?

Civil rights group, SERAP @SERAPNigeria asked President Muhammadu 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 CBN Act,” while Dr. Emma @DrEmmaOkah said: ”With Godwin Emefiele picking a presidential form of interest, it won’t be awkward any longer if the INEC picks his own too while still retaining his position as an electoral umpire. The madness of this generation of politicians has come to bare.”

Facebook user Mayor Chibunna said: “By picking N100million APC presidential nomination form today, CBN governor Godwin Emefiele poking his fingers at us and our law. This is just beyond contemplation, reason or logic that a sitting CBN governor is not only a closet member of a political party; he is actively taking part in a partisan contest in defiance of Section 1 (3) of the CBN Act 2007. Section 7 of this same Act talks about the governor having no other vocation than running the CBN. If this is not vocation for politics, then nothing is.”

The CBN Act 2007 (as amended) requires the governor to give a three-month resignation notice to the President whereas the party primaries must be concluded not later than June 3,according to the time table released by the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC)..

Section 11(3) of the Act says: ” The Governor or any Deputy Governor may resign his office by giving at least three months’ notice in writing to the President of his intention to do so” and any “Director may similarly resign by giving at least one month’s notice in writing to the President of his intention to do so.”