PDP blasts Emefiele over ‘heart attack’ comment

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blasted the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for his recent comment suggesting that he was having fun while Nigerians worry about his perceived presidential ambition as incumbent head of the apex bank.

The main opposition party condemned as reckless, irresponsible and unpardonable, the comment made by Emefiele to media correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja when told that Nigerians were anxious about his position.

Emefiele had noted that there was nothing to report on the issue, saying: “There is no news now, but there will be news. You heard me, I said there is no news but there will be news.”

When reminded that Nigerians are anxious about your position, he stated: “Let them have a heart attack. It’s good to have a heart attack. I am having a lot of fun.”

In a statement issued by Hon. Debo Ologunagba, PDP National Publicity Secretary on Saturday, the party maintained that Emefiele’s actions are in violation of the CBN Act 2007 and the Public Service Rules.

It said: “This 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 destabilise the polity.”

The PDP asserted that despite Mr Emefiele’s alleged withdrawal from the presidential race due to the pressure from the opposition, “he still cannot continue as CBN Governor having become partisan as a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The statement added: “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.

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“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 a heart attack. It’s good to have a heart attack. I am having a lot of fun.’

“Mr Emefiele has crossed the red lines; 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.

“The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to decisively rebuke and sack Mr Emefiele only confirms that impunity is an official policy of the APC administration.

“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.

“Now that he has been confirmed to be 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 too, within the ambit of the law, defend and protect the integrity of the CBN and our electoral process.

“For Mr Emefiele, he should be ready for investigation, prosecution and possible conviction for the atrocities allegedly superintended by him as the CBN Governor.”