The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as reckless, irresponsible and unpardonable, a comment by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele, when asked whether he’s going to resign over his Presidential ambition that violates the CBN Act 2007 and the Public Service Rules, responded by saying Nigerians can have a heart attack, and that he is having a lot of fun.
PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, Saturday said Emefiele is a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party also insisted that the CBN keeps all sensitive materials for elections, so Emefiele cannot be trusted with the custody of such.
PDP said the statement by the CBN governor is provocative and enough to trigger a nationwide restiveness that will pitch Nigerians against the CBN and shut down the economy and destabilize the polity.
It asserted that “despite Emefiele’s alleged withdrawal from the Presidential race due to the pressure by our party, he still cannot continue as CBN Governor having become partisan as a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
The statement partly read, “It was despicable to watch Mr Emefiele on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at the Presidency, brazenly and derisively spit at the concerns of millions of Nigerians, the International Community and the Corporate World when he said of Nigerians, let them have a heart attack. It’s good to have a heart attack. I am having a lot of fun.
“Mr Emefiele has crossed the red lines; he is provoking and daring Nigerians to do their worse, especially in the face of huge allegations and revelations of massive looting, manipulations and doctoring of the books in the CBN under his watch as recently exposed in a leaked phone conversation and for which he ought to be behind bars.
“His unthinking and insensitive comment further establishes that he is not a fit and proper person to hold public office and continue the coordination of our national commonwealth as the CBN Governor, having exposed his lack of the required professionalism, code of conduct and regard for public concerns on issues that affect our economy and the electoral process”.
According to the PDP, all of these underpin the thoughtlessness and endemic corruption in the Buhari-led APC government and further show the decadence in the CBN under Mr Emefiele.
PDP insisted that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has failed to decisively rebuke and sack Emefiele, confirming that impunity is an official policy of the APC administration.
It also cautioned Emefiele that Nigerians are more than ever before, ready and resolute to confront the situation and rescue the nation from the stranglehold of the APC.
It added that “Now that he has been confirmed to be a card-carrying member of the APC, Mr Emefiele must forthwith steer clear of the CBN as he cannot continue as the Governor.”
PDP said anything short of that amounts to testing the will of the people and it will not hesitate to call out its members and teeming supporters across the country to, within the ambit of the law, defend and protect the integrity of the CBN and our electoral process.
