Following a strong backlash from several quarters, including the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, which called for the sacking of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, a coalition led by the Emefiele Solidarity Vanguard has stated that linking the agitations directly to the CBN boss is outright blackmail.
The ESV National Coordinator, Daniel Enyi, stated at a press conference on Monday in Abuja that the campaigns and rallies, including those witnessed at the All Progressives Congress national convention on March 26, have no direct links to Emefiele.
Citing the latest of such rallies, which involved several Sharan mini buses bearing the image of the CBN governor, Enyi said, “The latest campaign of calumny against the person of the CBN Governor is the branding of some Sharan minibuses by a support group, Green Alliance Movement. The ESV is also branding vehicles in support of Godwin Emefiele to persuade him to participate in the 2023 presidential elections.
“The images circulated on social media have nothing to do with the CBN governor directly; the blackmail is an attempt to box Emefiele to the corner. It is outright blackmail against his person to link the agitation directly to him.
“Many Nigerians have constituted themselves into various support groups for the CBN Governor in a clamour for him to contest the 2023 presidential election. As ESV, we have thousands of posters, T-shirts, Billboards and have branded some of our individual cars in solidarity with the CBN Governor, this has nothing to do with him in person.”
Enyi noted that these groups, just like that of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Rotimi Amaechi, are simply the opinion of Nigerians on whom they want as President after the Buhari regime.
“As Nigerians, nobody can stop us from expressing our opinion on whom we feel should govern the country after 2023. We wish to make bold that the 2023 presidential election is far beyond an individual, as Nigeria belongs to all of us.
“We firmly believe that the economy needs a seasoned technocrat, an economist of all standards, who understands the monetary policy, diversification of the economy, and a patriotic Nigerian who shall improve the security situation and consolidate the gains of the Buhari’s regime. This we have found in Godwin Emefiele.
“We challenge anyone who has evidence of the CBN Governor consulting for the President or any other political office to tender the same before the general public. The CBN Governor is yet to accept the offer by Nigerians.
“We are confident that, if he makes up his mind to contest, he will declare in the open, as political office seeking cannot be done in a closed door, especially the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the ESV DG stated.
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