A group, the Nigerian Patriotic Quest, on Sunday insisted that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, should contest the 2023 presidential election.
The group, which is made up of Nigerian professionals mostly based in the diaspora, said it would continue to make the call because Nigeria was at a crossroads and will require “the care and nurture of a man like Godwin to take her to the promised land of rapid development.”
The NPQ made its position known in a statement made available to our correspondent by its Coordinator, Ahmed Tijani.
It noted that in the past two decades, Nigerians have entrusted their fate in the hands of those who it described as professional politicians “with barely anything to show for it.”
While claiming that the professional politicians have succeeded in running the nation aground, the group added, “We yearn for the advent of a servant leader who is there to serve and not to be served and celebrated.”
“We need leaders who are ready to get their hands dirty in order to wash away the dross of over 50 years of misrule.
“We believe that Godwin Emefiele falls squarely into the mould of leadership that the nation deserves at this time.
“We have watched, with great admiration, his dexterous and self-effacing management of the affairs of the CBN.”
The group also faulted the recent statement credited to the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Debo Ologunagba, asking Emefiele to reign as CBN governor because of some campaign posters bearing his name.
It said, “The futility of the allegation is underlined by the fact that at no time has Emefiele declared himself to be a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress. To further expose this hatchet job for what it is, there is no single poster of Emefiele with the insignia of the APC on it.
“In order to emphasise the ridiculousness of Ologunagba’s assertions, the poster he presented in his press release to support his allegation bears no APC symbol or logo on it. This is the effort of a man who is ready to concoct all sorts of lies in order to achieve his preconceived objectives. Perhaps, he was emboldened by the assumption that Nigerians will not take the time to verify his empty allegations.
“The fact remains that Godwin Emefiele never appeared in any APC poster till date.”
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