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Tag: Godwin Emefiele

  • 2023: Emefiele’s fate hangs in the balance as Buhari considers asking non-cabinet members to resign

    2023: Emefiele’s fate hangs in the balance as Buhari considers asking non-cabinet members to resign

    President Muhammadu Buhari is considering whether to ask non-cabinet members interested in running for office in the 2023 General Elections to resign or not, leaving the fate of the likes of Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hanging in the balance.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is coming after President Buhari directed all cabinet members wishing to contest elective positions in the 2023 general elections to resign their appointments on or before Monday.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed revealed this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday in Abuja.

    ”The mandate I have from the president is to announce that all members of the Federal Executive Council contesting for elective office must resign their ministerial cabinet appointments on or before Monday, the 16th of May, 2022,” Mohammed said.

    When asked if the directive affects the vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who is vying for the post of president, the minister said: ”The Vice President was elected; he was not appointed”.

    On the fate of other political appointees, who had been linked with the contest for the presidency in 2023, the minister said the directive might be extended to non-cabinet members.

    ”As of this moment, the mandate I have is for members of the Federal Executive Council. Subsequently, it might affect other political appointees but that will be made known. If there is going to be any amendment or any inclusion, you will be informed in due course,” he added.

    TNG reports that those affected by the president’s order include Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio.

    Others are Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu and Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba.

    The ministers joined the presidential race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Also included are the Ministers of State for Mines and Steel, Uche Ogar as well as Justice and Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, said to be running for governorship seats of Abia and Kebbi respectively.

    The Minister of Women Affairs, Paulline Tallen, who declared her ambition to contest for a senatorial seat in Plateau, is also expected to resign her appointment.

    Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has on Wednesday, set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Umuahia which voided the provision of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022.

  • Financial inclusion: We will attain 85% target – CBN Gov, Emefiele

    Financial inclusion: We will attain 85% target – CBN Gov, Emefiele

    The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has expressed optimism that the Bank will achieve the 85% financial inclusion rate target in Nigeria, within a very short period from its current rate of slightly below 70%.

    Mr. Emefiele disclosed this in Abuja at the Bank’s head Office in Abuja, while playing host to a delegation of Executive Directors from the Bank of Uganda, who were on an experience sharing tour of the CBN’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) project on Monday, May 9, 2022. He noted that the CBN was committed to accelerating the rate at which those who were financially excluded could come into the formal banking sector.

    He expressed satisfaction that the country’s Central Bank Digital Currency, the eNaira, had recorded some level of success judging by the rate of integration and security features, adding that the CBDC will enhance the relationship between mobile banking and e-business and speed up the rate of financial inclusion.

    The CBN Governor also noted that the interest the novel eNaira was attracting from other countries and multinational bodies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, underscored the level and quality of work the CBN had put into the project. Although he noted that Nigeria, being the first country in Africa to launch its CBDC, was a case study to other climes, he said the country was treading cautiously to ensure it sustains the successes recorded thus far.

    While equally stressing that the country had deepened its payment system infrastructure, which he noted was ranked among the best in the world, Mr. Emefiele paid tribute to his predecessor in office, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, for laying the foundation upon which the country’s current payments system was built. He recalled that Sanusi, as then CBN Governor, appointment him chairman of the sub-committee of the of the Bankers’ Committee to lead the payments system drive in 2012, adding that the move paved the way for innovative ideas that eventually led to the creation of the eNaira.

    He therefore charged the Executive Directors (Deputy Governors equivalent) of the Bank of Uganda to strive to strengthen their country’s payment system, noting that a strong payment system remained the bedrock for the successful take-off of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

    The delegation from the Bank of Uganda (BoU) comprised; Executive Director and Economic Adviser to the Governor, BoU, Dr. Jacob Opolot; the Executive Director, Information Technology, BoU, Mr. Richard Mayebo; Executive Director, Finance, BoU, Mr. Richard Byarugaba; and the Ag. Director, National Payments Systems Department, Mr. Andrew Kawere.

  • 2023: Emefiele seeks court order against INEC, FG over his presidential ambition

    2023: Emefiele seeks court order against INEC, FG over his presidential ambition

    Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has sought an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja restraining the Federal Government from removing him from office over his presidential ambition.

    Emefiele, through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, on Monday sought for the order pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.

    He also prayed Justice Ahmed Mohammed to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from taking any action against him in the bid to contest in the presidential primary by virtue of his office.

    The CBN governor made the prayers in an ex-parte motion dated and filed on May 9 by Ozekhome, seeking an order of maintenance of status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

    While INEC is the 1st defendant, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is the 2nd defendant in the suit.

    Moving the motion, Ozekhome said though his client had not told him under which political party he would love to contest, the application became necessary in order for the court to determine the constitutionality of his (Emefiele’s) decision.

    “The plaintiff is a current governor of CBN. He desires to run for the office of president of Nigeria in the election coming up in 2023.

    “But he is in a dilemma whether he can run. Can he run? If he can run, when must he leave office as CBN governor?

    “We want the interpretation of the law as it is today,” he said.

    He argued that Emefiele, by virtue of Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, is a public servant.

    He said that only political appointees are caught with Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which he said had been struck down by a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia in Abia.

    According to him, the matter is currently on appeal and the Court of Appeal has not come up with a decision.

    “Even if the Court of Appeal upturn that judgment, is the plaintiff a political appointee? Our answer is no,” he said.

    He argued further that Emefiele is only bound by Section 137 which says that a public officer shall resign from office not later than 30 days before election.

    “This is the constitution and we seek constitutional interpretation of this matter,” he said.

    But in his ruling, Justice Mohammed did not grant the motion.

    Rather, he adjourned the matter until May 12 for ruling.

    The judge made an order directing the INEC and AGF to appear on Thursday by noon why Emefiele’s prayers should not be granted.

    He ordered that all the applications, including the ex-parte, filed in the course of the matter be served on all the defendants.

    He also directed that hearing notices be issued to the defendants to appear on the said date to show cause why the prayers should not be granted.

  • Court stops CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele from running for President

    Court stops CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele from running for President

    Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has lost his bid to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, from restricting him from running for President.

     

    The tenth indigenous Governor of CBN, on Monday, informed an Abuja court that he can run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without resigning from his job as CBN Governor.

     

    This came after widespread outrage and criticism from Nigerians over a sitting CBN Governor’s temerity to run for political office while remaining in office without formally resigning.

     

    The CBN Governor informed the court that because he is a civil servant and not a political appointee, Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act as amended, 2022 does not apply to him.

     

    However, the court ordered INEC and the AGF to appear before it on May 12 to show cause why the CBN Governor should not be awarded status quo antebellum.

     

    Emefiele has asked a federal high court in Abuja to declare him eligible to participate in the 2023 presidential election.

     

    His request is in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 and filed on May 5.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the suit was filed two days before the CBN governor said he had not made up his mind to run for the office of the president.

     

    Three support groups bought him the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential nomination form worth N100 million.

     

    The aforementioned prayer is part of seven reliefs being sought by the CBN governor in the suit that has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), as respondents.

     

    “A DECLARATION that the Plaintiff can only be governed by or subject to the provisions of section 137(1) (g) and 318 of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), which require a public officer seeking election into a political office to resign, withdraw or retire from his appointment at least 30 days to the presidential election, rather than by the provisions of section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022 or the guidelines, rules, criteria, measures or conditions made by the plaintiffs political party or any political party,” the court filing read.

     

    “A DECLARATION that the Plaintiff can validly participate in the primary election of a political party and is entitled to vote and be voted for as candidate of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

     

    “AN ORDER that the Plaintiff cannot be hindered, stopped or precluded from participating, voting or being voted for at the congress or convention of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

     

    “AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the defendants whether by themselves, their agents, servants or privies or any legal representative from hindering, stopping or precluding the Plaintiff from participating, voting or being voted for at the congress or convention of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of the president or any other office under constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria (as amended).”

     

    One of the questions he posed before the court reads: “Whether the provisions of section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which are consistent with the provisions of section 137(1)(G) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which have been declared so by a competent court of jurisdiction can be relied upon by the defendants to disqualify the plaintiff from contesting election to the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or from contesting or participating in the parties’ primaries or convention or congress for the purpose of election to the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria scheduled for 25th February, 2023.”

     

     

  • Gov Tambuwal join calls for Godwin Emefiele’s resignation

    Gov Tambuwal join calls for Godwin Emefiele’s resignation

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has called on the Federal Government to effect the resignation of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

    Tambuwal, a Presidential aspirant on the platform of PDP, made the call on Saturday, in Jalingo, shortly after interacting with the party delegates ahead of PDP presidential primaries.

    The governor said that Emefiele’s continued stay in office, after openly identifying himself with a political party, should not be encouraged.

    Three interest groups had purchased the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for the CBN governor.

    However, Emefiele, while reacting through his verified twitter handle, on Saturday rejected the forms.

    He said that, should he decide to contest for the political office, he would prefer to use his personal resources.
    Speaking further, Tambuwal told the delegates that he would respect a consensus arrangement of the party for the presidential slot, if done fairly.

    He commended Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba for holding the party’s flag high in the state, through the provision of infrastructure and ensuring relative peace in the state.

    He expressed satisfaction at the warm reception and support he received from delegates in the state.

    In his response,Ishaku said that the country needed a competent leader, who would harness the abundant resources of the state and ensure the security of lives and property.

    The governor said that given the rich endowment of the state, a serious president should focus on the state alone and create massive wealth for the country outside crude oil.

    He called on all politicians to play the game by the rules, to avoid a total breakdown of law and order across the country.

  • CBN Governor deflates report on his interest for 2023 presidency

    CBN Governor deflates report on his interest for 2023 presidency

    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has debunked the allegation that he picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) N100 million expression of interest and presidential nomination forms.

     

    According to him, he has not decided yet to run for the 2023 presidency.

     

    He spoke barely 24 hours after reports that a group of a committee of friends picked the APC N100 million expression of interest and presidential nomination forms for him.

     

    After the news went viral, many social media users demanded his immediate resignation, saying his dabble into politics is in contravention of the CBN Act of 2007.

     

    But Emefiele, on his official Twitter handle on Saturday, said he was yet to decide whether to run for the presidency.

     

    He said: “I am humbled by the growing interest of those asking that I run for the Office of President in the 2023 general elections: I have not come to that decision. I note and salute the sacrifices of those farmers and patriots going as far as raising personal funds.

     

    “And offering me Presidential Nomination Forms: I thank them most profusely. However, Should I answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination, I will use my own hard-earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my own Nomination Forms.

     

    “Without proxies in an open and transparent manner in full compliance with the laws and Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria. And should I not run for elected office.

     

    “I will continue to serve and sacrifice for the good people of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention: in the next few days The Almighty will so direct.”

  • BREAKING: Emefiele rejects APC nomination form bought for him

    BREAKING: Emefiele rejects APC nomination form bought for him

    Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele has rejected the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) bought for him by a group of farmers.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Emefiele as saying on Saturday that should he decide to seek presidential nomination for the 2023 general elections, he will use his own hard earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy his own nomination forms.

    The CBN Governor, however, thanked the farmers for their sacrifice, while stressing that he does not need proxies to obtain the nomination and expression of interest forms should he want to run for president.

    “I am humbled by the growing interest of those asking that I run for the Office of President in the 2023 general elections: I have not come to that decision. I note and salute the sacrifices of those farmers and patriots going as far as raising personal funds and offering me Presidential Nomination Forms: I thank them most profusely.

    “However, should I answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination, I will use my own hard earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my own Nomination Forms, without proxies in an open and transparent manner in full compliance with the laws and Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Emefiele tweeted on his official Twitter handle on Saturday.

    ALSO READ || Farmers pick APC presidential nomination form for CBN Gov, Emefiele

    Meanwhile, the CBN Governor also added that should he not run for president in the 2023 general elections, he would continue to serve and sacrifice for the people of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He tweeted: “And should I not run for elected office, I will continue to serve and sacrifice for the good people of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention: in the next few days The Almighty will so direct”.

    TNG reports a coalition of commodity associations in Nigeria picked the presidential nomination and expression of interest form of the APC for the CBN Governor on Friday.

    They said the decision was reached having realized that the CBN governor is one of the trusted and tested Nigerians that have the commitment and competence to protect the interests of farmers across the country and give priority to the commodity and agricultural value chain.

  • Ondo Gov, Akeredolu calls on Emefiele to quit CBN job

    Ondo Gov, Akeredolu calls on Emefiele to quit CBN job

    Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, has called on the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to quit his job, saying “he cannot combine partisan politics with the very delicate assignment of his office”.

     

    Adding: “Should he refuse to quit, it becomes incumbent on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to remove him forthwith. This is a joke taken too far.”

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Emefiele obtained the presidential nomination form of All Progressives Congress (APC).

     

    Calling on the President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the CBN Governor, Akeredolu, in a statement he signed on Friday, said Emefiele’s purported action, “if unchecked timeously portends great danger to the fragile economy of the country.”

     

    The governor said, “It is incontrovertible that Mr Emefiele enjoys a constitutionally protected right to belong to any group or association and participate fully, just as any Nigerian. It is, however, difficult to imagine that a person who occupies the exalted and sensitive office of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria will be this brazen in actualizing his ambition.

     

    “There is no gain asserting the obvious. The combined effect of the Public Service Rules, CBN Act and the 1999 Constitution, as amended, exposes not only the oddity inherent in this brash exercise of presumed right to associate. It also confirms the illegality of the act should he proceed to submit the forms while occupying the seat as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

     

    Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Debo Ologunagba, noted that the CBN Act clearly stated that the governor and deputy governors of the bank must be fully dedicated to their jobs.

     

    Ologunagba berated the ruling APC and the President for promoting impunity and refusing to force Emefiele to leave office.

     

    He added, “The CBN governor is governed by the CBN Act. Section 9 is unambiguously clear about what the CBN governor and deputies should do and it says they shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the bank and they will not engage in any other vocation.

     

    “Now, his action is completely in contravention of that Act and that amounts to gross misconduct and that qualifies him to be removed from office in line with Section 11 of the Act. This is completely irresponsible and at variance with our laws.”

     

    The PDP spokesman said it was unfortunate that the CBN governor, who ought to be focused on the nation’s monetary policy, had the time to engage in partisan politics, adding that it was time for Nigerians to vote in the PDP to restore order.

  • 2023: CBN Gov, Emefiele picks APC presidential nomination form

    2023: CBN Gov, Emefiele picks APC presidential nomination form

    Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has picked the N100 million presidential nomination and expression of interest form of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Emefiele picked the presidential nomination and expression of interest form of the APC on Friday.

    It would be recalled that a coalition of commodity associations in Nigeria had resolved to raise the N100 million needed to purchase the presidential expression of interest and nomination forms for the CBN Governor ahead of 2023 general elections.

    They said the decision was reached having realized that the CBN governor is one of the trusted and tested Nigerians that have the commitment and competence to protect the interests of farmers across the country and give priority to commodity and agricultural value chain.

    The leaders of the commodity associations arrived at the decision on Wednesday at the end of a two-day intensive meeting in Maitama, Abuja, that drew more than 30 commodity associations from 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    One of the conveners of the meeting, Malam Ibrahim Garba revealed that the meeting was convened to articulate the position of the commodity associations who are the biggest stakeholders in the country ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    He said the robust national security the country needs now can only be achieved through food security.

    “Agriculture is the key to achieving national security. Through agriculture, millions of Nigerians are economically empowered and gainfully engaged, our industries are revived, a multifaceted value chain ecosystem created, and food security is ensured,” he said.

    The commodity associations leaders said in the last seven years, Nigeria has carved a niche for itself as a country that has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. “Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Nigerians were never short of food. We were never hungry even when every country in the world shut its borders for nearly a year.

    “Only God knows what would have happened if we were importing the food we eat. There would have been war. But that was averted due to the resilience of Nigerian farmers and commitment to agriculture by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration,” one of the farmers leader from the Southeast, Chief Madu Ndubuisi, said.

    It was to sustain this unprecedented agricultural feat that the representatives of farmers and their leaders across the commodities converged in Abuja for two days and decided to raise N100 million to acquire an APC form for Emefiele who is the driver of the Buhari agricultural revolution.

    It was learned that the farmers have divided themselves into six zones, with each zone raising at least N20 million. “We have decided that every farmer in the country would donate a minimum of N200 for this cause. We have set the ball rolling. We are not leaving any stone unturned,” Alhaji Mudi Ila, another commodity association leader from Jigawa State, told this newspaper.

  • Vice President Osinbajo to declare to Nigerians his political ambition today

    Vice President Osinbajo to declare to Nigerians his political ambition today

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will today, through an online broadcast, inform Nigerians of his intention to bid for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to run for President.

     

    This was disvlosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters (Office of the Vice President), Mr. Femi Ojudu, on Sunday night.

     

    “The video will be circulated across social media handles. The details will be explained in a press statement,” Ojudu said.

     

    Osinbajo, however, has informed governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of his intention to bid for party’s ticket to run for President.

     

    He made the disclosure at the occasion of an Iftar (the break of fast during Ramadan) on Sunday.

     

    The Vice President noted his capacity and experience having been Vice President for about seven years.

     

    According to him, he had consulted widely and informed President Muhammadu Buhari.

     

    He pointed out that he felt the governors were the people to inform next, a source close to the meeting said.

     

    It was gathered that about 10 APC governors attended the meeting, led by Chair of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu.

     

    Some of the governors in attendance include Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Hope Uzodimma (Imo) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna).

     

    Governor Bagudu, who responded on their behalf, it was gathered, said the APC governors were looking forward to the party continuing to hold the levers of power in the country after the 2023 election.

     

    Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi have declared their intention to vie for the APC presidential ticket.

     

    There are speculations that Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele will also join the race on the ruling party’s platform.

     

    The APC is yet to announce its timetable for the primaries, which are expected to hold next month.