President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decided to withdraw the nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as a member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for supporting the Labour Party and its Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.
Recall that President Tinubu submitted a request to the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, urging Dr. Ruby Onwudiwe’s confirmation as a member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) board of directors.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio and presented during Wednesday’s session in Abuja, Tinubu underscored the importance of Onwudiwe’s appointment by the provisions of the CBN Establishment Act 2007.
“I am pleased to nominate Dr Ruby Onwudiwe for confirmation by the senate as a member of the CBN board of directors,” Tinubu stated.
“It is noteworthy that Onwudiwe is being proposed as a replacement for Mr. Kalu Eke, who is unavailable for the position.”
However, The Cable in a report stated that the President has decided to withdraw Onwudiwe’s nomination over her affiliation with the Labour Party.
The decision follows pressure mounted on the president by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding Onwudiwe’s political affiliation.
A post via her account on X, which reads “it was a landslide victory for Labour Party at my polling unit Lekki polling unit” was said to have incited the APC supporters who protested the nomination by Tinubu.
According to the report, flaunting her support for Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, and a display of the result at her polling unit, was a basis for the party members “to protest to senior government officials on the abnormality of the nomination of an opposition figure to serve at the apex bank”.
In response to the feedback and protests, President Tinubu is expected to announce a new nominee from the South East region to replace Onwudiwe.
The decision reflects the importance of addressing concerns raised by party members and ensuring alignment with the party’s objectives and principles.