*Top contenders: -Aig-Imoukhuede, -Atedo, -Majekodunmi, -Lemo, -Moghalu
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| Atedo |
 |
| Moghalu |
The race to replace Lamido Sanusi
as the next Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may have started clearly seven months ahead
of his voluntarily retirement from the post come June 2014, as interested
individual intensified lobby for the plump job.
| Sanusi |
Sanusi had indicated few months
ago he was not interested in coming back for another five years tenor at the
expiry of his current tour of duty at the apex bank. The statement which many
analysts said was a cleaver way of preempting the president from denying him a
return ticket and save him any humiliation arising thereafter, has generated so
much interest among the banking community and those who have long been eying
his job.
Initial indication was that
Peterside Atedo, from River State and a current chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank,
and the outgoing chief executive of Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede are the
two top contenders to the job. However, the numbers of those who are interested
in the job has since swell up and with intense lobby to get the ears of the
president for the job.
 |
| Majekodunmi |
Latest information showed that
two of the present deputy governors at the apex bank, Kingsley Moghalu and
Tunde Lemo are seriously putting their papers together to convince the
president of their capability to run the affairs of the bank after their boss.
Infact, Sanusi is said to be
tipping one his deputies as his favorite successor, but the ultimate decision is
now left for the president to either listen to him or choose his own man for
the job.
| Aig-Imoukhuede |
Another outsider who is said to
be interested in the job is former chief executive of defunct Reliance Bank,
and immediate past chief of staff to a former governor of Ogun State, Dr
Abayomi Majekodunmi.
Though, some analysts believed it
was too early for an intense jostling for the top job, but many of the
interested individuals are not willing to leave any stone unturned to sway decision
on their sides.
However, it was learnt that the
president seems to be more disposed toward Aig-Imoukhuede candidature because
of his closeness to the power that be and his perceived loyalty to government
policy. Other factors in favour of the outgoing chief executive of Access Bank include
the fact that he is from the south-south region, the same region the president
belong. He is also said to have the ear of the first lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan.
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| Lemo |
However, other people from the
region are pushing for the candidature of Peterside, who they claimed is more
pro-Jonathan than Aig-Imoukhuede. Those who are pushing for Peterside are
claiming his candidature will attract less criticism because of his minimal
shareholding at Stanbic IBTC, unlike Aig-Imoukhuede whose interest in Access
Bank is seen as a disadvantage.
“The president is disposed to
giving the job to someone from his region as most of his aides are citing the
examples of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who gave the job to Joseph Sanusi when he
has the opportunity to choose in 1999, while late president Musa Yar’dua gave
it to the present occupier of the position, Lamido Sanusi from the North,” a
presidency source said.
Both Lemo and Majekodunmi are
banking on their qualifications as insiders in the banking industry and the
fact that the job has always been rotated between north, east and west. It was
Charles Soludo a south easterner that held forth before Sanusi, who is from the
north took over in 2009, it was expected that this time it will be the turn of
a candidate from the west to assume control of the apex bank, a source said.
Beyond the listed contenders, a
last minute entrant into the race is the chief executive of Diamond Bank, Alex
Otti, he is said to have a closer affinity with the first lady.
President Jonathan is said to be
keeping his choice close to his chest and may spring surprise at the end of the
day, depending on what he consider the opportunity cost to his reelection bids.
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