In a statement released on Saturday, Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, expressed their concerns about Tinubu's decision to suspend Emefiele without involving the National Assembly.
The opposition party believes that Emefiele is being punished by Tinubu for his disagreement on the implementation of the Naira Redesign Policy, which was introduced to combat vote buying during the previous general election. The Labour Party considers this policy as a noble initiative, but a particular candidate perceived it as a personal attack. According to the party, Emefiele is now paying the price for this supposed "sin."
In their statement, the Labour Party questions the government's justification for suspending Emefiele and highlights the need for urgent investigation of the Independent National Electoral Commission and its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. They argue that INEC is the institution responsible for undermining the integrity of Nigeria's democracy. The party emphasizes the urgency of addressing the issues within INEC rather than targeting the Central Bank Governor.
It should be noted that Emefiele was suspended by Tinubu's government on Friday, leading to his subsequent arrest by the Department of State Security Service. The Labour Party's call for President Tinubu to shift his focus towards investigating INEC reflects their concerns regarding the suspension of Emefiele and the need to prioritize electoral reforms for the betterment of Nigeria's democratic process.