Abuja – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will take urgent steps to review its partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) so as to protect the integrity of sensitive election materials.
The electoral body said this has become necessary following controversies generated by the interest shown in the presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by the incumbent Governor of CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele.
Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, who stated this in a statement in Abuja, said the commission is contemplating the idea of reviewing its relationship with CBN because of sensitive materials which are always kept in its custody during election period.
Emefiele’s partisanship came to the fore when three support groups bought APC’s N100m presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for him.
The partisanship was further reinforced and became more glaring on Monday, May 9, when he dragged the INEC and the Attorney -General of the federation before a federal high court, asking it to restrain them from asking him to resign his position as the Governor of CBN before contesting the APC presidential primary.
Many had argued that based on the provisions of Section 9 of the CBN Act, 2007, the apex bank governor should not venture into any other vocation while in office and must resign in writing to the President if such situation arises.
According to Oyekanmi, long-standing strategic partnership which existed between INEC and CBN will be affected should Emefiele declare to join partisan politics and declare for presidency.
The statement reads, “The strategic partnership between the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Independent National Electoral Commission which enables the commission to store its sensitive election materials with the CBN, has been in place for many years and beneficial in several ways.
“Indeed, there have been various reports that the CBN governor is nursing an intention to run for the office of President.
“But, he has yet to formally declare his intention to run for the office of president as of today.
“However, if and when he eventually does, the commission will look at the implications and take a decision on what becomes of the long-standing strategic partnership with the CBN.” (vitalnews)
