Reps move to bar CBN governor, deputy from partisan politics

The House of Representatives has passed a bill after second reading to stop the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from participating in future elections in the country.

The sponsor of the bill, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), at plenary in Abuja on Tuesday said the bill would add more conditions to the disqualification and appointment of Governor, Deputy Governor, and Director of the CBN.

Soli said: “Why I am doing this is because there was a time the CBN Governor went to court seeking for an interpretation whether he can participate in partisan politics.

“We need to address that. Today the credibility of CBN in custody of sensitive election material is being questioned.

“It is not against any individual but to save the integrity of CBN.”

The lawmaker added that the bill would add more stringent conditions for the appointment or cessation of appointments of the CBN Governor, Deputy Governor as well as Directors of the apex bank.

Soli said the bill sought to amend the CBN Act 2007, adding that the bill is intended to restore its credibility from the shock it had suffered in the cause of interpreting the existing law, and not against any individual.

He added that the Act needed to be amended to strengthen the Apex Bank and restore its credibility from the shock it had suffered in the cause of interpreting the law.

The bill, however, scaled second reading after a voice vote put by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, who presided over the plenary.

The Star