‘It is provocative’ — PDP tackles Emefiele over ‘heart attack’ comment

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for saying Nigerians should have a “heart attack” over his presidential ambition.

On May 12, Emefiele was asked by state house correspondents if he would resign following the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that all public office holders seeking elective positions should resign on or before May 16.

The CBN governor — who had earlier indicated an interest in running for president in 2023 — did not give a direct response but said: “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 on Saturday by Debo Ologunagba, PDP national publicity secretary, the party condemned the comment, tagging it as “provocative”.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemns as reckless, irresponsible and unpardonable, the comment by the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, that he is ‘having a lot of fun’ in his actions which are in violation of the CBN Act 2007 and the Public Service Rules,” the statement reads.

“This comment by Emefiele who also stated that Nigerians can go ahead and ‘have a 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 destabilize the polity.

“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.”

The PDP insisted that Emefiele cannot remain in office, saying the comment has “exposed his lack of the required professionalism”.

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

“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.”

The opposition party called on the president to take “decisive action” against Emefiele.