CBN Gov Emefiele Meets Buhari, Says ‘Let Nigerians have heart attack

13 May CBN Gov Emefiele Meets Buhari, Says ‘Let Nigerians have heart attack

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, said his fate is still being decided as regards the controversy surrounding his presidential bid.

After meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Thursday, he told “Let them have heart attacks. It’s good to have a heart attack.”

He said despite the current outrage by Nigerians, the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, and the international community, he is “having fun.”

Emefiele spoke barely 24 hours after the President ordered members of his cabinet vying for various elective positions to resign on or before May 16, 2022. Also, a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, with reference number SGF/OP/ I/S.3/XII/ 173, titled, ‘Ministers, heads of government agencies, ambassadors and other appointees with political ambitions to resign’, ordered all heads of agencies, departments, parastatals, and ambassadors with political ambitions to resign.

Last Friday, a group of farmers and businesspersons had purchased the N100m presidential nomination forms of the ruling All Progressive Congress for Emefiele, a move he said he did not influence.

The CBN Governor had earlier gone to court to challenge the Public Service Rule that requires public office holders to resign their positions before contesting elective positions.

Asked to respond to reports that Buhari had directed him to resign, Emefiele said, “There is no news now, but there will be news. You heard me, I said there is no news but there will be news”.

…INEC says it may relocate sensitive materials from CBN

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said it would employ both the manual and electronic methods in the transmission of the 2023 elections results but it may move sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria to another location.

The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, spoke during a consultative meeting with the media in Abuja on Thursday.

Responding to a question on the political ambition and partisanship of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, Yakubu said the commission might be forced to find another arrangement for the handling of sensitive materials.

The INEC chairman said the CBN is responsible for the storage and movement of sensitive materials, adding that the commission has never doubt the capacity of the CBN to discharge that responsibility.

He said, “But I understand the context in which the question is asked. But you should also understand the context in which events are unfolding. As we speak, our director, litigation and prosecution is in court.

“There is a case in court. We have been invited to state our own side of the story. We usually refrain from talking about such issues because there is essentially subjudice.

“But we are already started talking about what alternatives are available to us in case we need to change the arrangement for the handling of sensitive materials. We have started thinking about it. We are aware of the situation. We will watch the situation. We still have 9 months before the next general elections.

“Things may be addressed before then. I want to assure you that we will not jeopardize the conduct of the election by creating a misconception around the situation in the process.”

According to him, INEC would partner with the Economic Financial Crime Commission to check the spending of political parties during the 2023 election.

Yakubu added that the provision of the Electoral Act 2022 in the management of results was still basically manual involving the recording of results on forms and their delivery to various levels of collation until declaration and returns are made.