ONDO State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has insisted that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, must resign to pursue his presidential ambition.
Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said President Muhammadu Buhari should remove Emefiele from the position of CBN governor if he refuses to resign.
The Ondo governor made the call in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page.
The ICIR had reported that Emefiele announced his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday and subsequently obtained his N100 million presidential election forms.
Akeredolu said Emefiele’s immersion into politics while serving as the incumbent governor of the CBN is disastrous to the country’s economy.
“The news of the purchase of Declaration of Intent and Nomination Forms to contest for the office of the President in the forthcoming general elections, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, purportedly by the supporters of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has been received with palpable disbelief and shock by many Nigerians. This act, if unchecked, timeously, portends great danger to the fragile economy of the country,” Akeredolu said in the statement.
“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.“
Akeredolu, who acknowledged that Emefiele has the constitutional right to contest as a citizen described his move as audacious considering the sensitive position he is holding in the country.
“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 actualizing 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,” he added.
Akeredolu, therefore, urged Buhari to sack the CBN governor if he fails to quit his position.
“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.”
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.