INDEPENDENT
ABUJA – The Labour Party (LP) has described the suspended governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, as a fall guy who is paying for his sin, as it accused President, Bola Tinubu, of vendetta.
The party, in a statement on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, alluded that the suspension and subsequent arrest of the CBN Boss may not be unconnected to “the Naira redesign policy initiated by Emefiele primarily to check vote buying in the last general election.”
According to the opposition party, the policy was a noble one, which “a particular candidate then, unfortunately, believed was targeted at him”.
It also alleged that the Apex Bank’s move was considered as “a mortal sin which cannot be forgiven and must be punished.”
While frowning at Emefiele’s suspension and his subsequent arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS), the LP’s acting National Publicity Secretary described the action as unconstitutional, and without the permission of the National Assembly.
It also insisted that the action was not in good taste and sounds punitive, as it feared that going forward Nigerians may face a regime “where perceived enemies are dealt with, perceived opposition parties and their members are dealt with, even when they are protected by the law.”
Citing remarks by the federal government that the suspension is “sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy,” LP warned that Nigerians will not tolerate political and peripheral investigation.
This is even as it suggested forensic auditing by an independent firm to unravel the “real culprits, not just Emefiele.”
Additionally, it urged for an investigation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
It stressed that such investigation should be with the utmost urgency, insisting “this is the institution that is responsible for the mockery of our democracy. This is an institution which asked and received N355 Billion in taxpayers money to conduct, the worst-ever election in the history of Nigeria and in Sub Saharan Africa.
“This is an election umpire that has shamelessly chosen to be partisan during and after the election, even at the tribunal.
Finally, we urge the APC led government to carry out a thorough investigation of the CBN and particularly, the last APC government’s interference in the operation of the apex bank.”
The front-runner political party recalled remarks in 2014, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, in the place…
