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Prominent non-political organisation-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has suggested that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Yakubu Mahmud should go ahead to buy the N100 million presidential nomination form of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
He said people won’t be shocked if he goes ahead to contest since the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the Chief Law Officer of the Federation who is the federal Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, Alhaji Abubakar Malami (SAN) could declare their interests to contest while still in office.
HURIWA specifically stated that since the law setting up the Central Bank of Nigeria banned the holder of the office of the Governor of Central bank of Nigeria from running for political office whilst still holding on to the position of the Governor of the Central Bank which is a regulator of financial institutions and periodically introduces and implements national financial policies for the well-being of the Nation’s economy on the basis of non partisan platform same as the constitutional provision prohibiting the Chairman of INEC and National Commissioners from joining partisan Politics, if the current Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Professor Yakubu MAHMUD decides to buy his own N100 million Presidential nomination form from the All Progressives Congress, he would be allowed to conduct the 2023 poll in which he will run as a candidate.
HURIWA said legally, the CBN governor is violating the law by going into partisan politics as a holder of the position of Governor of CBN. HURIWA said that according to the extant Central Bank of Nigeria Act: – (1) A person shall not remain a Governor, Deputy Governor if he is –(a) a member of any Federal or State legislative house; or (b) a Director, officer or employee of any bank licensed under the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act.
(2) The Governor, Deputy Governor or Director shall cease to hold office in the Bank if he –(a) becomes of unsound mind or, owing to ill health, is incapable of carrying out his duties; (b) is convicted…
(d) is disqualified or suspended from practicing his profession in Nigeria by order of a competent authority made in respect of him personally: (e) becomes bankrupt; removed by the President: Provided that the removal of the Governor shall be supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate praying that he be so removed.
HURIWA argued that the CBN act states also that the Governor or any Deputy Governor may resign his office by giving at least three months’ notice in writing to the President of his intention to do so and any Director may similarly resign by giving at least one month’s notice in writing to the President of his intention to do so. It adds that if the Governor, any Deputy Governor of Director of the Bank dies, resigns or otherwise vacates his office before the expiry of the term for which he has been appointed, there shall be appointed a fit and proper person to take his place on the Board for the unexpired period of the term of appointment in the first instance.
HURIWA lamented that Nigerians have so much indulged President Muhammadu Buhari which is why despite his monumental show of incompetence, there is little signal of public angst by way of public peaceful demonstration which is why there is so much official impunity and lawlessness by the appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari.
HURIWA said: “If the so-called rice farmers who reportedly collected a lot of financial empowerment from the government through the current Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria can be said to have bought with his tacit approval the N100 million Presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the ruling APC and the Heavens have not falling and President Muhammadu Buhari is pretending like he is in another planet and therefore is not aware, what if the Chairman of INEC who is banned statutorily from partisan Politics just like the CBN Governor decides he will be participating in the Presidential poll through the political family of President Muhammadu Buhari whose members the Spokesman of the President Garba Shehu said once they enlist into the party their past misdeeds are forgiven, therefore the Chairman of INEC would be allowed to buy the Presidential nomination form by President Muhammadu Buhari going by his body language.
HURIWA recalled the media reporting that the GOVERNOR of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele kept mum as ‘farmers’ across the country bought the N100m presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress, APC for him.
HURIWA said those who reportedly bought the form are operating under the banner of a coalition of commodity associations in Nigeria, juat as news reports say the farmers took the decision of purchasing the forms for Emefiele 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).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.
HURIWA through the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to allow his appointees to desecrate extant laws and to commit colloidal abuses of their powers by dabbling into partisan Politics whilst still holding on to publicly funded offices is a breach of section 15(5) of the Constitution which mandates Government to eradicate corruption practices and abuse of powers.