By Eric Elezuo
It did not come as a surprise to many when it was announced on Friday that the substantive Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has purchased the N100 million All Progressives Congress (APC) expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the presidential primaries later this month.
It will be recalled that the likes of Chief Dele Momodu had warned of the possibility of the nation’s number one banker delving into partisan politics following his utterances and body languages.
Recall that in February, Momodu, who is a frontline presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had asked the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele to resign for dabbling into politics while still in office.
In the press release which was exclusively made available to The Boss, Momodu accused the CBN boss of supervising an economy that has so far nosedived.
“The chicanery of a Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele dabbling into politics while still in office
“While it is the right of every Nigerian to aspire to the highest office, it is a joke carried too far for a Central Bank Governor to remain in office while he and his well known sponsors are seeking to hijack the political process.
“Under Emefiele’s watch, Nigerian economy has nosedived yet he and his collaborators seek to deceive Nigerians that all is well. Let me say categorically that Nigeria can never be bought by a few individuals because they want to protect themselves,” Momodu said.
Echoing Momodu’s stand, a popular online medium, shortly after, called for the resignation of the CBN governor in its editorial commentary.
The editorial noted inter alia:
“It is our considered view that the statutory independence granted the Central Bank and its governor is compromised, if not totally eroded, when a sitting and serving Governor of the Bank becomes a closet politician angling or lobbying to be appointed to or to contest for a partisan political office. Whether he openly makes known his partisan political interest or does so through shadow proxies is immaterial.”
