2023: Farmers to raise N100 million for Emefiele’s presidential nomination form – Official

Farmers associations in the country have resolved to raise the N100 million to purchase presidential expression of interest and nomination forms for the Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele ahead of 2023 general elections.

The farmers say they decided to raise the N100 million as a form of appreciation for what Mr Emefiele did for farmers in the country.

They said the boss of the country’s apex Bank placed priority on commodity and agricultural value chain in the country.

Ibrahim Garba, one of the leaders of the coalition told reporters the group is made up of over 30 commodity associations from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Garba said commodity associations are the biggest stakeholders in the country ahead of the 2023 general elections. He added that food security is the shortest path to the country’s development.

“Agriculture is the key to achieving national security. Through agriculture, millions of Nigerians are economically empowered and gainfully engaged, our industries are revived, a multifaceted value chain ecosystem created, and food security is ensured,” he said.

He said in the last seven years, Nigeria has carved a niche for itself as a country that has achieved self-sufficiency in food production.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerians were never short of food. We were never hungry even when every country in the world shut its borders for nearly a year.

“Only God knows what would have happened if we were importing the food we eat. There would have been war. But that was averted due to the resilience of Nigerian farmers and commitment to agriculture by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration,” one of the farmers leader from the South-east, Madu Ndubuisi, said.

Emefiele and presidency contest

Some newspapers reported on Friday that the CBN governor had picked the APC nomination presidential form, a claim that eventually proved to be incorrect.

Supporters and loyalists of the CBN governor have been rooting for him to join the presidential race.

Posters that indicated that Mr Emefiele was running for the country’s top job started appearing in several cities across the country weeks ago.

But Mr Emefiele has neither confirmed nor denied the rumour that he is interested in the presidential race.