Centre for change and good governance, a Civil Society Organisation has condemned what it described as political and calculated attacks on the office of the CBN governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele over a recent apex bank policy to limit the withdrawal of cash and redesign of the nation’s currency.

The foremost CSO group bemoaned politicians’ desperation to rig the 2023 elections, saying the CBN policy has blocked all loopholes that could be exploited by money bags politicians bent on buying votes to power.

Media reports have it that the CBN policy came under severe attacks, especially from politicians who felt threatened by the internationally backed financial policy, shortly after announcing the withdrawal limit.

Recall also that the main opposition party, PDP, privy to some political moves orchestrated to revert the cash withdrawal limit policy, said “money bags politicians are behind Emefiele’s attacks”.

Nigeria Secret Police, DSS labelled Mr Emefiele as supportive of terrorism in the country owing to the N20,000 withdrawal limit. DSS has since been criticized by leading civil rights groups in the country over the statement that was adjudged to be sentimental, parochial and sponsored by political elites suspected to be in the vote-buying scheme.

Recall that media reports have it that many Civil rights groups staged a protest against the DSS and House of Reps move, insisting the CBN governor is innocent of allegations.

Similarly, the Nigerian lower House of Legislators has invited the CBN governor to appear before its committee on Finance, a move many described as political witch-hunting.

the CBN had last week announced that it increased the maximum weekly limit for cash withdrawals across all channels by individuals and corporate organisations to N500,000 and N5 million, respectively.

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CBN had said this in a letter addressed to banks last Wednesday.

According to the apex bank, the decision was based on feedback received from stakeholders.

The letter read, “Following our circular BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/015/069 dated December 6, 2022, on the above subject and based on feedback received from stakeholders, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hereby makes the following reviews:

“The maximum weekly limit for cash withdrawal across all channels by individuals and corporate organizations shall be N500,000 and N5,000,000 respectively.”

Reacting to the trumped allegations against the CBN governor, The group’s president Segun Adedigba, in a statement titled THOSE BEHIND EMEFIELE’S ORDEAL, and jointly signed by the President, his vice, Abdullahi Sule and the Spokesperson of the group, Chukwudi Ebuka, noted that if the harassment, intimidation and the use of political contacts to force the hand of the CBN to do the bidden of politicians wanting to rig the elections it not stopped, we will release the names of these politicians and proof of their harassment of the CBN governor and their bid to RIG the 2023 election.

“We have proof of harassment and intimidation against the CBN governor by three Presidential aspirants and a number of politicians who have vowed to rig the 2023 elections.

We know their antecedents and they are at it again but we can assure the Nigerian people that their evil scheme to trash the withdrawal limit will not manifest”.

“These characters should desist from the blackmailing and intimidation of Mr Godwin Emefiele and the CBN, but if they fail, we shall reveal their identities to Nigerians and drag them before the international community.”

“We have evidence to prove that they are trying to stir up unsuspecting Nigerians against rejecting the CBN policy through unscrupulous moves, using the DSS and sponsored media attacks to have their way and ultimately have a soft landing to manipulate the 2023 elections.” The statement read.