We Never Threatened To Occupy CBN – IPAC

The Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has disowned a statement credited to the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP and allied civil society groups under the umbrella body, Coalition Of National Civil Society Organisations, CNCSOs, where it was alleged they had concluded plans to occupy the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN headquarters, until the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele resigns or denounces his purported presidential ambition.

In a joint statement issued in Abuja by the Secretary General of CNPP, Chief Willy Ezugwu and the National Secretary of the Coalition Of National Civil Society Organisations, Alhaji Ali Abacha, the group had asked the CBN Governor to denounce activities of his support groups which they claimed were rather sources of distraction than helping grow the economy.

This was as various groups have been canvassing for Emefiele to declare his intention to vie for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress.

The group hinged their call on the fact that, by occupying such a position, why allowing groups to be canvassing for his participation in partisan politics, he has compromised his statutory role.

But 18 political parties, which are operating under the banner of IPAC denounced the call in a statement issued by the forum’s chairman, Mr Kenneth Udeze, who is also the national chairman of Action Alliance Party.

The parties accused those behind the call as impostors since CNPP had been disbanded and replaced with the IPAC.

The parties said, “We have read with dismay the statement credited to the CNPP that it will, alongside, some faceless groups, attack the CBN headquarters to force the governor to resign and stop the activities of the support groups that have been asking him to contest the 2023 presidential election.

“Let us state clearly that the Nigerian registered political parties are not and can never be part of any plan to attack any government offices, including the CBN headquarters. This is clearly a move to truncate the peace being experienced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and we hope that the security agencies would have taken proper note of this.

“It is important to also make it very clear that the CNPP does not speak for registered political parties in Nigeria. This is because the CNPP has been disbanded and since been replaced with IPAC.

“Based on this, we also announce that one Willy Ezendu who signed the statement had been sacked as CNPP secretary even before the group was disbanded.

“Ezendu is not an official of any of the 18 registered political parties and so, he cannot speak for them.

“We, therefore, call on members of the public to be careful with the statement coming from this impostor and his cohorts just to feather the nest of their personal agenda.

“We urge security agencies to rise to their responsibility of protecting lives and property around public buildings, including the CBN headquarters.

“In the event of any break down of law and order in the FCT and its environs, we are sure our security agencies know those to hold responsible.”