Ruby Onwudiwe: Conflict of Political interest forces Tinubu’s hands

President Bola Tinubu has reportedly decided to withdraw the nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as a Board member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) following pressure from top chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over her political affiliation.

The decision to step down Onwudiwe’s nomination stems from her support for the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, which caused unrest among APC members who deemed it inappropriate for an opposition figure to hold a position at the apex bank.

According to sources cited in a report by Western Post, Onwudiwe’s post on her social media account celebrating the Labour Party’s victory at her polling unit in Lekki further fueled the dissatisfaction among APC supporters, prompting protests against Tinubu’s nomination.

It is worth noting that President Tinubu initially proposed Onwudiwe’s appointment on March 14, urging the Senate to confirm her as a member of the CBN’s board of directors. The request, conveyed in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio, was read during a plenary session on Wednesday, March 13.

Tinubu clarified that Onwudiwe was intended to replace Urom Kalu Eke, who declined the nomination citing a conflict of interest in the matter.

The nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe comes one month after President Tinubu asked the Senate to confirm 4 people as directors of the board of the CBN who were then confirmed to include Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Olayinka Aliyu.