May 29: Presidency not aware of study leave approval for Emefiele

The Presidency has denied any knowledge of the purported study leave the President, Muhammadu Buhari, granted the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

This was made known by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, while reacting to a media report claiming that Emefiele would proceed on study leave before May 29.

An online news medium, Sahara Reporters, claimed in a report that the apex bank governor was granted a leave by the President to pave the way for him to flee the country before the inauguration of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Emefiele was trying to flee the country before the end of Buhari's tenure in order to avoid being arrested by security agencies over allegations of corruption and terrorism financing against him, the report added.

But, responding to inquiries by Daily Trust on the matter, the presidential spokesman said his earlier reaction to the claim has not changed.

Shehu had earlier told a national paper on Saturday, May 13, 2023, that “If the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been granted study leave supposedly by President Muhammadu Buhari, this is unknown to us.

“It is also unknown to the President’s secretariat headed by the Chief of Staff.”

It would be recalled that Emefiele made an attempt to snatch the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket, but his failure to succeed is believed to have motivated him to introduce the naira redesign and cashless policy to sabotage the ruling party.

Tinubu also toed the same line of belief when he accused the CBN governor of trying to sabotage his presidential ambition.