***Lists reasons why he is the best to take over from Buhari in 2023
The Green Alliance made up of about 100 pressure groups on Saturday shook Abuja to its foundations with the campaign that specifically urged the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Dr Godwin Emefiele to join the Presidential race.
The message ‘Meffy 2023′ peace Progress and Prosperity’ was re-echoed several times at the Chida Hotels International, venue of the event for it to be passed on to other Nigerians
The convener of The Green Alliance Wale Fapohunda said, there is no need to look elsewhere for Buhari’s successor who will turn around the fortunes of the country other than Emiefele.
“The Green Alliance as a movement is one of the numerous groups that is saying we want Dr. Godwin Ifeanyichukwu Emiefele to take over from Baba Buhari.
“If you look at Emiefele’s activity as CBN Governor, you will see that there is nobody in this Government and I say it with all sense of responsibility and challenge anybody to a debate that nobody in this present Government that has supported the programs of Baba Buhari more than Godwin Emiefele, nobody.
“It is clear and the facts are there for us to see. We are in Abuja and I am not surprised at all the level of support Emiefele is getting from Abuja.
He said when Buhari took over in 2015 he moved for the diversification of the economy to invest in Agriculture.
“Immediately Emiefele keyed in to this and we are seeing various and remarkable intervention in this sector of the Nigerian economy.
“We all saw the rice Pyramids, as we speak Nigeria has ceased from being an importer of rice to a net exporter of rice and it is because of the friendly monetary policy of Emiefele.
“He has supported women, he has supported the youths, he supported all the President has achieved today in terms of infrastructural development.
According to him, before 2015 there was no train from Abuja to Kaduna, “Now there is train, there was no train from Lagos to Ibadan, the second Niger Bridge is now 95% completed.
“How is a President able to do these without a friendly monetary policy by the CBN governor, it is not possible.
“The challenges we had as a nation, like the COViD-19 pandemic, many countries are still suffering today from the economic impact of COVID but guess what? we have an astute businessman who is manning the Apex Bank and we were able to quickly exit recession because we have somebody that is focused that loves Nigeria that wants the progress of Nigeria.
“Out of all the serious contenders do we know that he is the youngest person as he is just 60 years old?.
“At 60 he has achieved so much for himself so if it is about being alone he does not need anything anymore. He was the group MD/CEO of zenith bank. After that he became the Governor of the Central Bank.
“It was PDP that appointed Emiefele so when Buhari came in 2015 in his wisdom he decided to retain him, so also after the first five years of his tenure expired, Buhari in his wisdom said I still need this man to run this country so he retained him again the second time that is to tell you something about that man.
“We are saying to him, he must run, he should forget the fact that he has achieved all he wants to achieve because it is not about him.
“God in his infinite mercy and wisdom create certain people at certain time for specific purposes and that is what we are saying we have identified him.
“So all this one that we are talking about persuasion, he must run because we don’t want anybody to come and rubbish all that this present Government has achieved we need consolidation.
“All the members of Green Alliance here, in our private or public conversation, in our social media engagements let us keep telling him that he must run. MEFFY 2023.
“God in his infinite mercy decided to create him and put him in Nigeria in such a time at this and we will not waste this opportunity that is why we are calling in him, we are saying that he must run and by the special grace of God he will run.
“We are not going to leave Nigerians to vote people who will come and destroy what has been put together the achievements of this present Government.
“I challenge everyone to an open debate in terms of monetary policies and developmental projects, show me any CBN Bank Governor in the world that has performed better than than Hovernor Emiefele in view of our specific
“They think they can speak English we are going to speak based on facts and figures. We don’t want tribalistic, illiterate leaders, we want somebody that loves Nigeria, whether Hausa, Ibo or Yoruba, we don’t want religious bigots, we want anybody that will carry everybody along in Nigeria and by Gods grace we shall achieve that.
“The Green Alliance is specifically asking Emiefele to declare for the Presidency 2023
On what will happen if Emiefele turns down the request, he said,
“Essentially the Green Alliance is an independent body with no affiliation with Emiefele in any ramifications so if for any condition he decides not to run the green Alliance will continue as a movement because we are a movement but I can tell you authoritatively that with the little I know about him as a patriotic Nigerian, as someone that loves the nation, as someone that is totally detrubalised and wants the progress of Nigeria by the grace of Almighty God he will run.
On the fact that Politics is a different ball game different from running the CBN, he said,
“First and foremost, man by nature is a political animal, every human being is a politician dont deceive yourself.
“There is politics in everything we do because politics is about decision making,. Even in your houses in your family there is politics. “All of us at any point in time take political decisions. Do we understand what fiscal role the CBN plays in the Nigerian economy.
“Do you understand certain management decisions that must be made as a Governor of CBN, if that person is not himself politically in tune he would have messed everything up. “Whether you talk about established politicians when we get to the bridge we will cross it, when we get to the field we will sort it out.
“What I am saying is about facts and figures, it is about what you have done and what you have not done.
“Let us compare notes for Nigerians to see. Comparing Nigerian with Angola which is similar oil producing country with less population, the inflationary trend is extremely manageable compared to Angola.
“Let established politicians go and dust their boots let them prepare for a robust debate.
“This is not ground standing, we are ready, he has the intellectual wherewithal, the intellect to run against every type of political obstacle that may come his way
The group said the contest is not about Emefiele, but about the country adding that they have identify him as the best for the country adding that he must come out and run as president.
“We won’t leave the activities of the country in the hands of politicians that will destroyed what Buhari has done,” Fapohunda added.
Also speaking, another co-convener, Akin Osomo, said it was the second time they are calling on Emefiele to come out and seek for the highest office in the land.
He said Nigeria cannot be doing the same thing and expect different results.
“We must persuade this man. We are begging, pleading. We want him to answer the call. For the love we have for our country, we need to do something different.
“Nigerians have been putting in politicians, we must try someone who has perform both in public and the private sector. Emefiele should answer the call,” Osomo added.
A woman leader in the FCT, Hajiya Fatima Musa Gwagwalada, said women will support Emefiele if he decides to contest adding that he is someone that have been promoting the activities of Women.
Another co-convener, Valentine Gabriel, said the Abuja invasion become nescessarry because the over 100 interest group want Emefiele to be the next president.
“Nigeria has very few leaders. As such, we cannot afford not to get it right. We cannot afford not to search for the person that will succeed Buhari. Emefiele is the right person to succeed Buhari,” Gabriel said.
Also, the Women leader of the Green Alliance, and member of the Anioma Women Forum, Angela Ejiofo said they supports women in politics adding that they are calling on Emefiele to run for the office of the president in 2023.
“He is the right person to run the country. He will bring prosperity. Nigeria needs progress. Emefiele will bring unity and strengthen the economy, security and create jobs. The women want him to answer the call of Nigerians, ” she added.