The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has refuted the allegations made by Private Investigator, Jim Obazee, that the former President Muhammadu Buhari did not approve the Naira redesign program. Emefiele responded to a report titled “Re; Emefiele, others stole billions, illegally kept Nigeria’s funds in foreign banks,” and countered Obazee’s claims that there was no presidential approval for the Naira redesign initiative. Obazee suggested that the program was endorsed by Buhari at the behest of a former presidential aide, Sabiu Tunde, without the CBN board’s approval.
Emefiele dismissed these claims and stated that the presidential approval for the Naira redesign program was presented to Obazee in the presence of senior CBN officials and members of the investigator’s team. He also contended that many allegations in the investigator’s report are false, misleading, and designed to tarnish his reputation for Obazee’s personal gain.
Emefiele, who is currently facing legal matters, emphasized that his lawyers advised him not to comment on issues before the court but felt the need to address certain points raised in the publications. He deems them as deliberate falsehoods aimed at fulfilling the investigator’s agenda. Emefiele emphasized that former President Buhari had openly affirmed authorizing and approving the Naira redesign on multiple occasions. He questioned why Obazee would mislead the public by denying the existence of such presidential approval.