…Gives CBN Governor 14 Day Ultimatum
…As Different Groups Drum Support for Him to Contest

Amid speculations that the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele wants to run for the presidency come 2023, the Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has given him a 14 day ultimatum to resign from his position and pursue his political ambition (if he is interested) or disassociate himself publicly from such speculations and stick to his job.

In a letter written and copied to the President, Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, the Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju, who acknowledged that Emefiele has a constitutional right to contest for any election in Nigeria, including that of President, wants him to take a stand now than keeping Nigeria at sea.

“It has been widely published in the media that the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele is planning to contest in the 2023 general election to be President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a group by the name: The Green Alliance recently addressed the press on the subject matter of Emefiele for President.

“By virtue of being the Governor of the apex bank in Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele is not eligible to contest for any election in Nigeria or participate in politics. By the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, he is statutorily barred from participating in politics or engaging in any other business for that matter.

“Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act provides thus: “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 whether remunerated or not except such personal or charitable causes as may be determined by the Board and which do not conflict with or detract from their full time duties.”

Suraju maintained that HEDA being the leading Anti-Corruption civil society organization in Nigeria and Non-partisan Human Rights and Development league with the mandate to protect and promote universally recognized human rights, public accountability, transparency and environmental justice in Nigeria and Africa, in accordance with International best standards, would continue to work assiduously to keep to its mandate.

He advised the CBN Governor to either come out publicly and dissociate himself from the campaign or pursuit of his ambition of contesting for any election while in office and if he insists on contesting, he should adhere to the CBN Act and resign honourably within the next 14 days from the date of receipt of the letter, saying, “We trust that you shall fully comply with the law and do what is best for the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he stated.

A motley of groups have been drumming support for Emefiele to enter the presidential race given the impression that the CBN governor may be funding them. First to prod him to take the presidential birth is the Green Alliance, a coalition group, which asked Godwin Emefiele, to contest for the 2023 presidency.

Speaking during a press conference in Lagos on Saturday, Wale Fapounda, convener of the group, said the country needs a technocrat that can handle the affairs of the country.

The group added that the CBN governor understands global economic growth and would compel him to accede to its request to run for the presidency under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“This forum has come together to come and plead and beg Dr. Godwin Emefiele to run as president of Nigeria in 2023,” Fapounda said.

“Since he was appointed the governor of the CBN, he has spent his energy in building a resilient financial system that can serve the growth and development needs of the Nigerian economy. A typical example of this was seen during his first term, he supervised an interventionist currency policy at the behest of the presidency, propping up the Nigerian Naira by pumping billions of dollars into the foreign exchange market.

“He also introduced a multiple exchange rate regime to try to mask pressure on the Naira and avoid a series of devaluations. He has engineered bank policies and programmes that has supported job creation and fostered inclusive growth, in addition to key macro economic concerns such as inflation and exchange rate stability.

“He has come up with new strategies to navigate the Nigerian economy through hurdles such as the challenge of foreign exchange inflow, the exchange rate, the economic recession, stagflation, financial inclusion and the rise in the value chain of majority of crops in Nigeria.

“Ladies and gentlemen, join me in echoing Emiefele RUN! RUN!! RUN!!!”

Fapounda added that if not for how Emefiele managed the economy during the COVID-19 lockdown, Nigeria would have gone the way of Zimbabwe and Venezuela.

Another group, the Mass Interest Project (TMIP), has also asked the CBN governor, to contest the 2023 presidential election.

Although Emefiele has not declared his interest in the race, these groups have been unrelenting in their urge on him to join the race.

TMIP said Emefiele met all the requirements to be President Buhari’s successor.

In a statement titled ‘The Charge 2023’, the group said Nigeria’s next president should be an experienced entrepreneur and or a business leader.

The group said Emefiele’s fiscal and monetary policies had helped to get Nigeria out of two recessions within the past five years.

It stated: ‘’From East to West, North to South, Nigerians are beginning to feel the heat as the political gladiators go on the hustings, perfecting their art to play the game to know how tom play with ruthless efficiency.

‘’These are men and some women who are well versed in political deception, intimidation, blackmail and are also experts in the arts of violence which they readily deploy to exact vengeance or force compliance to their will and desire.

‘’They’re also adept at making promises they cannot keep or are not capable of supporting.

‘’Yes, we are on the march, in search of the next leader of our country. Behold we have found a man with a proven track record of loyalty, patriotism and understanding for sustainable development. A man, whose name connotes a date with destiny.

‘’Godwin Ifeanyichukwu Emefiele, would you lead our people on this march for a better Nigeria? Would you lead The Charge 2023?”