From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has come under attack for seeking the resignation of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over alleged partisanship.
Although the frontline banker has kept studied silence over his political ambition, various groups have vociferously called on him to run for the presidential office. The PDP, in a statement last week, had accused the CBN boss of appearing in APC campaign posters.
The Nigerian Patriotic Quest (NPQ), in a statement by its Co-ordinator, Ahmed Ja’Usman Tijani, accused the PDP of distorting facts to deceive the public as it stated that contrary to the claim, none of the posters drumming support for the CBN governor had the insignia of the ruling party on it.
“We are, indeed, surprised that a national publicity secretary of PDP will at this time believe that running down Emefiele is the best way to re-energise their ineffective opposition politics of the past seven years.
“We are convinced that the publicity secretary may be serving the interests of some puppeteers that may not necessarily be members of PDP, who feel threatened by the ever-rising profile of the CBN governor.
“Emefiele, in his position as CBN governor, to all objective observers, has performed his duties with a great sense of patriotism, dedication and none partisanship. Indeed, the benefits of the CBN’s economic interventions and policies cut across political or geographical boundaries.
“This is the main reason his efforts have been acclaimed across the country; and this is why, we and a generality of citizens believe he is the most suitable candidate for the post of president in 2023. “All the other financial allegations spewed out in the statement are laughable and products of a man who does not understand the structure and operations of the CBN.”
Meanwhile, the group has asked Emefiele to throw his hat into the political ring by joining the race for the presidency.
“We will continue to make this call because Nigeria is now at a crossroads and will require the care and nurture of a man like Emefiele to take the country to the promised land of rapid development. In the past two decades, Nigerians have entrusted their fate in the hands of professional politicians with barely anything to show for it.
“If we must be honest to ourselves, we can say without any fear of contradiction, that the professional politicians have succeeded in running the nation aground. We have witnessed a relay race of politicians handing over the baton of leadership from one uneventful administration to the other. Our patience is totally exhausted. We seek a new shift in leadership from the old to the new. We are not carried away by the rhetorics of the old brigade who are now cat-walking the national walkways in order to sell to us their expired recipes.