The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, purchased the Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for the All Progressives Congress Presidential ticket in 2023 on Friday, according to reports
According to APC Secretariat sources, Emefiele’s payment of N100 million for the nomination and expression of interest forms was approved by the party’s Finance Department, and the form was handed to him this morning, Friday, May 6, 2022.
Around 11:15 a.m., the form was selected on behalf of the CBN governor.
Emefiele’s plan to run for president in 2023 comes after months of rumors about the Agbor, Delta State-born former Zenith Bank Managing Director’s political ambitions.
In response to the plan to run for Nigeria’s top job, Emefiele advised speculators not to entice him, stating that he would rather focus on reforming Nigeria’s monetary policies and aligning them with the Federal Government’s fiscal policies.
Regardless of his stance on the topic, rumor has been prevalent that Nigeria’s number one banker has been enticed by some political interest to compete for the job, an offer he has found impossible to turn down.
Emefiele is still the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and it is unclear if he would retire before the APC presidential primary, as other appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari who have professed interest in the presidency remain in the administration.
The CBN governor has put a stop to weeks of speculation over whether he will run for president in 2023.
Emefiele, who is from Delta State, was appointed in 2014 and reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 for a second five-year tenure. The Delta-born economist’s second term will end in 2024.