Nigeria’s Central Bank governor and presidential aspirant, Godwin Emefiele, has taken delivery of his campaign vehicles ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Several cars branded with Mr Emefiele’s pictures, adorning traditional outfits of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, were seen by Peoples Gazette.
On March 26, campaign posters publicising the CBN governor as presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress flooded Eagle Square, during the party’s national convention in Abuja.
Although the central banker is yet to announce that he will be contesting for the party’s ticket, a source familiar with the arrangement told The Gazette Mr Emefiele has yet to authorise deployment of the campaign vehicles.
“The governor said the vehicles should not be deployed yet because nothing has been cast in stone as far as his running or otherwise is concerned,” said the source under anonymity because they weren’t authorised to speak for the governor or the institution.
Mr Emefiele enjoys the support of members of the Igbo ethnic group who believe his tenure as the nation’s central bank governor qualifies him to be Nigeria’s next president.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party has repeatedly called for Mr Emefiele’s resignation, affirming that his partisan affiliation and entanglement with the APC violated section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act which provides that “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…”
PDP also accused Mr Emefiele of being the “cash cow” to the Muhammadu Buhari regime, whose reckless borrowing and inability to settle outstanding debt and tackle rising inflation has regressed the nation’s economy.
Mr Emefiele’s refusal to resign from the CBN governorship position to pursue his presidential ambition may be a ricochet effect of Mr Buhari’s request to delete section 84(12) of the Electoral Act which mandated resignation of political office holders before contesting in any election.
Other political bigwigs who are eyeing the presidential seat include vice president Yemi Osinbajo, Bola Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Dele Momodu among others.
