PDP Fumes Over Emefiele’s ‘Heart Attack’ Remarks

• Demands his sack as CBN governor

BY VICTOR BUORO – Still angry at ongoing political moves around the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has frowned at his recent ‘heart attack’ comments as showing total disrespect for the Nigerian people.

Consequently, the country’s main opposition party has condemned as ‘reckless, irresponsible and unpardonable’ Emefiele’s remarks about “having a lot of fun” with developments in the polity ahead of the political parties primaries.

The PDP, which maintained that the apex bank boss’ actions violate the CBN Act 2007 and the Public Service Rules, said the “comment by Emefiele, who also stated that Nigerians can go ahead and “have heart attack” over the widespread anxiety in the country arising from his involvement in partisan politics, is provocative and enough to trigger a nation-wide restiveness, pitch Nigerians against the CBN, shut down the economy and destabilize the polity.”

A statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, said Emefiele’s alleged withdrawal from the Presidential race due to the pressure from the PDP notwithstanding, “he still cannot continue as CBN Governor having become partisan as a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The further said; “The CBN which keeps ALL sensitive materials for elections cannot be trusted with the custody of such materials with a biased Mr. Emefiele at the helm of affairs”, adding that; “It was despicable to watch Mr. Emefiele on Thursday May 12, 2022 at the Presidency, brazenly and derisively spit at the concerns of millions of Nigerians, the International Community and the Corporate World when he said of Nigerians, “let them have heart attack. It’s good to have heart attack. I am having a lot of fun.”

Cautioning that Emefiele has ‘crossed the red lines’, the PDP said; “He is provoking and daring Nigerians to do their worse especially in the face of huge allegations and revelations of massive looting, manipulations and doctoring of the books in the CBN under his watch as recently exposed in a leaked phone conversation and for which he ought to be behind bars.

“His unthinking and insensitive comment further establishes that he is not a fit and proper person to hold public office and continue the coordination of our national commonwealth as the CBN Governor, having exposed his lack of the required professionalism, code of conduct and regard for public concerns on issues that affect our economy and the electoral process.

“It also underpins the thoughtlessness and endemic corruption in the Buhari-led APC government and further shows the decadence in the CBN under Mr. Emefiele.”

Insisting that the President’s refusal to decisively rebuke and sack Mr. Emefiele only confirms that impunity is an official policy of the APC administration, the PDP said; “Emefiele should know that Nigerians will never have heart attack because of APC’s impunity. Instead, they are now, more than ever before, ready and resolute to confront the situation and rescue our nation from the stranglehold of the APC.”

According to the PDP, having confirmed his status as a card-carrying member of the APC, “Mr. Emefiele must forthwith steer clear of the CBN as he cannot continue as the Governor. Anything short of that amounts to testing the will of the people and the PDP will not hesitate to call out our members and teeming supporters across the country to, within the ambit of the law, defend and protect the integrity of the CBN and our electoral process.”

The party while warning the apex Bank boss that there are consequences for every action, said he “should be ready for investigation, prosecution and possible conviction for the atrocities allegedly superintended by him as the CBN Governor.”