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By Henry Ojelu

A group of friends have warned those sponsoring negative reports against the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, to desist from doing so, saying that Emefiele has not indicated an interest in running for the presidency in 2023.

In a statement, yesterday, the group noted that while Emefiele reserves the right to vie for any political office, his focus now is not on politics, but about leaving a legacy of the buoyant economy for the country.

The statement reads: “In the past few weeks, there have been media reports on the purported interest of Godwin Emefiele in the 2023 presidential race, leading to stampede by interested parties and vested interests who are resorting to all sorts of blackmail, sponsored articles and choreographed comments on social media targeted at tainting Emefiele’s image and impugning his character and legacy.

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“Clearly, the negative attacks are being sponsored by those who see Emefiele as a major threat to their political ambition. The truth is Emefiele has not confirmed to anyone that he is running for president, even as he is constitutionally qualified to do so. He has been under pressure in the past few weeks, as different groups have been putting up unsolicited campaigns for his candidacy.

“Only yesterday, as the speculation became widespread, we met with him to clarify his position, and he affirmed to us that he remains focused on his job and will continue supporting the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government’s economic recovery drive.

“Apparently, those behind the sponsored negative reports are afraid of Emefiele’s towering personality and service to Nigeria. But they must understand that he cannot be stampeded any way.

“He is focused on delivering the mandate of the Central Bank; he is rebuilding the economy of the country through import substitution policies, and using agriculture to create a new rural middle class from the ground up.”  

Vanguard News Nigeria