President Buhari Sacked Godwin Emefiele? Here Is What CBN Says
- CBN spokesman Osita Nwanisobi has reacted to the widespread rumour on social media that Godwin Emefiele, the apex bank's governor, has been sacked
- Nwanisobi and other staff of the CBN who spoke anonymously said they are not aware Emefiele has been relieved of his duty
- Meanwhile, a constitutional lawyer, Festus Ogun, also said a CBN governor cannot be sacked without the input of the National Assembly
FCT, Abuja - The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it is not aware its Governor Godwin Emefiele has been sacked.
The Nation reported that CBN’s spokesman Osita Nwanisobi said he read the report of Emefiele's purported sack in some media like everyone else.
Source: Getty Images
“I also heard the same way you heard it. Honestly, to me I’m not aware of that development," Nwanisobi was quoted to have said.
Emefiele's alleged sack: Other CBN staff speak
Other CBN staff also claimed they are not aware of Emefiele’s sack as widely reported.
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Another staff of the apex bank was quoted as saying that Emefiele is not in Nigeria at the moment.
“The Governor left to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland immediately after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) briefing," the staff said.
Despite the viral claim on social media that Emefiele was sacked, sources at the CBN and Presidential Villa where the purported sacked would have emanated from all denied knowledge of the sack, The Nation reiterated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reported that Nwanisiobi said online media reports purporting the sacking of Emefiele is untrue.
NAN also confirmed Emefiele is currently out of the country on official assignment.
Legit.ng notes that the CBN governor has been under public scrutiny since he showed interest in running for the presidency at the oncoming 2023 general elections.
How to sack a CBN governor
Meanwhile, amid the viral social media rumour, Festus Ogun, a human rights lawyer, said that President Muhammed Buhari cannot outrightly sack Emefiele.
Ogun told FIJ that although the president reserves the right to remove the CBN governor, he cannot exercise the power without approval from the National Assembly.
“The president appoints, but the appointment is subject to the Senate’s approval. In the process of removing him too, the sack has to be approved by the National Assembly,” he said.
2023 presidential ambition: CBN Governor Emefiele takes fresh step
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Emefiele withdrew a suit asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to declare him eligible to contest the 2023 presidential election.
Recall that the CBN governor had in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 and filed on May 5, asked the court to declare him eligible to contest the presidential election.
However, at the court on Monday, May 23, S.T. Maliki, counsel to Emefiele, told Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge, that the motion to withdraw the suit was filed on Monday, May 16.
Source: Legit.ng
