By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in conjunction with allied civil society groups under the aegis of Coalition of National Civil Society Organizations (CNCSOs) have told President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele from office.
Chief Willy Ezugwu, Convener/CNPP Secretary General Coalition and Alhaji Ali Abacha, National Secretary for CSOs made the demand on Tuesday, during a press briefing in Abuja.
The groups said their demand was predicated on the eventual purchase of All Progressives Congress presidential nomination forms and the court case by Emefiele while still in office.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack Mr. Godwin Emefiele as the CBN Governor over gross misconduct in line with the Public Service Rules and CBN Act for registering as a member of APC since 2019.
“We demand that President Buhari act swiftly to restore the confidence of international investors in Nigeria’s economy as Godwin Emefiele is clearly a politician and former banker” the groups demanded.
CNPP and the allied civil society groups therefore condemned in totality the legal action by Emefiele, wherein he is praying the Federal High Court Abuja to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation from disqualifying him from contesting the 2023 presidential election.
The groups maintained that the a tion of the CBN boss
clearly painted him “as one that cannot be trusted, having denied having interest in the 2023 presidential election and distancing himself from the APC presidential nomination forms purchased in his name, making him unfit to remain in office as CBN Governor”.
“His stay in office, even if he fails to contest the presidential election will certainly cast doubts on Nigeria’s electoral outcomes in view of the sensitive electoral materials that are traditionally kept in custody of CBN which now has a partisan Governor”.
Consequently, CNPP and other civil society groups restated their position that Emefiele must resign before seeking nomination as a presidential aspirant and before participating in APC presidential primaries and that in line with the CBN Act, he must show evidence that he has submitted his letter of resignation to President Buhari three months before the date of purchase of his nomination forms which are in his name.
