The nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as member representing the South east in the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has been withdrawn.
Onwudiwe’s name was sent to the Senate on Tuesday by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for confirmation but her nomination has now being withdrawn for allegedly supporting Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election.
The president had requested her to be confirmed expeditiously so that she could join other four members who had earlier been confirmed by Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber.
The directors of the board already confirmed are; Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Olayinka Aliyu.
The magazine reports that Onwudiwe’s nomination followed the rejection of the position by Urom Eke, a world bank consultant who cited conflict of interest for his decision not to join the CBN board.
According to those privy to the issue, the South east nominee was dropped by the president after top echelons in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC , protested that she backed the LP candidate in the last presidential election.
Following her nomination, some APC leaders had contacted the president, protesting the nomination of Onwudiwe who they said refused to back Tinubu for the presidency.
“The normal tradition in democratic government is for the winner to take it all. There are members of our party who can take up that position having worked for the party to win the election. Giving such important position to someone who’s apparently in the opposition is an abberation, and it undermines the interest of our loyal members,” a chieftain of the party in Lagos said.
President Tinubu was declared the winner of the election last year with Obi, the LP candidate coming a distant third.
Meanwhile, Presidency sources informed the magazine that President Tinubu would send the name of a nominee from the south east to the Senate to fill the position before next week.
