The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands that the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) including its Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC State governors immediately release billions of new Naira notes in their custody and halt the anguish being experienced by Nigerians.
The PDP in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba described as wicked and unpardonable that “the same band of deceptive, sneaky and hypocritical APC leaders who are deeply involved in intercepting and hoarding of new Naira notes are going about trying to hoodwink Nigerians by posturing as though they are concerned about their plight.
“It is instructive to state that the controversial Naira redesign and swap policies are programmes of the APC administration which is also completely in control of the production and circulation of the new notes.
“The APC leaders having realized that they cannot win in the 2023 general elections, sabotaged the system and diverted the new Naira notes so as to create widespread social unrest to justify their plan to derail the elections and truncate our democracy.
“Our Party has been informed by some well-meaning APC members on how six APC State governors led by a particular infamous Governor of a prominent State in the North West region are coordinating the hoarding of new Naira notes for the vote buying scheme of the APC ahead of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election.
“The PDP has also been made aware of how APC governors are allegedly warehousing the new Naira notes in facilities owned by APC interests in Lagos, Kano, Kogi, Kaduna, Imo and other parts of the country for the purpose of vote buying for Senator Tinubu in the Presidential election.
“Nigerians can recall that the APC was recently busted in the process of swapping the sum of N22.5 billion in old N1000 notes for new ones in Kano State for vote buying, in a deal wherein a substantial part of the old notes was allegedly conveyed to Lagos State for secret swapping with new notes.
“It is therefore callous for APC leaders to continue to watch Nigerians spend nights at ATM stands, fight one another in bank halls and ATM centers for cash with millions stranded without money to take care of their daily needs.
“The PDP calls on Nigerians to hold the APC and its leaders directly responsible for the pain, economic hardship, social dislocation and psychological distress they are going through on account of APC induced cash scarcity in the country.
“The APC has again demonstrated that it is party of very cruel, insensitive and self-centered politicians who relish in inflicting pain, anguish and life-discounting situations on our citizens in the last seven and half years of the APC administration.
“Our Party therefore urges Nigerians not to allow the deception, lies and shenanigans of the APC to detract from their collective resolve to end the era of misery in our country by voting Atiku Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria so that he can commence the onerous task of rebuilding our nation from the abysmal misrule of the vicious APC.”
However, Following hardship experienced by Nigerians over the scarcity of the new Naira notes, the Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to allow the old notes still in circulation remain legal tender with the new ones for the next 12 months.
He also advocated the immediate suspension of associated charges on online transactions and bank transfers and payments via POS until the current crisis is fully resolved.
Tinubu made the demands in a press statement he personally signed on Sunday.
Titled ‘Let Us Make The Best Of This Moment’, it read: “The past few weeks have been a challenging one for Nigerians especially our SME’s, poor and vulnerable masses and those whose very survival depend on daily cash transactions. They have felt the brunt of the combined problems of scarcity of fuel and new Naira notes.
“We feel the pains of our market women and artisans who have experienced low sales because customers do not have cash to make purchases. We hear the loud cries of farmers in rural areas and hinterlands who have been forced to sell their produce at much lower prices so they don’t lose out completely. We hear every Nigerian dealing with the consequences of the roll-out of the cash swap programme.
“While the scarcity arising from the supply limitations of the new naira notes is still with us, we are encouraged about reports that the fuel queues across the country are easing out as a result of better supply to fuel stations. We are now confronted with how to bring quick, sustainable solution, and relief to Nigerians on the challenges still posed by the non availability of new Naira notes, so that social and economic activities can move on unimpeded and normalcy can immediately return to our financial services sector and overall productivity of our nation.
empower our people on the new naira and cashless policy for better understanding and mainstream adoption.
“As leaders, our commitment to our country everyday must be on how to make life better for our people and we are called upon not to waste the opportunity the moment presents to us to ramp up capacity and capability to serve 200 million Nigerians, leaving no one behind and ultimately improve the living conditions of every single Nigerian.
He urged the apex bank to obey provisions of the act that set it up, adding that the Naira redesign policy and currency swap were supposed to be long term projects.
“The President should imstruct the CBN governor to hold on until when the Supreme Court will consider the matter on Feb. 15.
“The apex bank should also obey Section 20 of the CBN Act, which provides that it should continue to accept the old notes for swap, even when they cease to be legal tender,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Council of State on Friday, urged the CBN to immediately make enough of the new Naira notes available to Nigerians or resort to circulating the old notes.
Following the suit, a seven-member panel of the apex court, led by John Okoro gave the order suspending the Feb. 10 deadline till Feb. 15, when the suit would be determined.
NAN Correspondent, who went round some parts of the FCT on Sunday to monitor use of the old notes, discovered they were being rejected in public places like fuelling stations, market places and parks.
Mr Ndubuisi Ugwu, a commercial driver, seen announcing to passengers to board with new Naira notes, said he started rejecting the old notes because fuelling stations had began rejecting them.
He said, “I went to fuel my car at the station with the old notes and it was rejected.
“That is why I am insisting on passengers boarding with new notes.”
On the Supreme Court Order, Ugwu said he was aware of it but insisted that since people had started rejecting the money he had no choice.
Mrs Amina Shuaibu, a tomatoes seller at Karu Market, said she stopped collecting old notes since Feb. 11, following the Feb. 10 deadline given by the CBN.
According to her, she heard that the old notes have seized to be legal tender.
“Although, I heard that the court gave order that we should continue using the old notes but people are rejecting it in the market, that is why I am also rejecting it.
“I also heard that banks have equally stopped accepting the old notes but I do not know how true that is.
“There is so much confusion about the whole thing, so the best thing to do is not to collect it at all.”
Mr Philip Ogedengbe, a concerned Nigerian, who was seen educating traders in the market, said almost everybody in the market was rejecting the old notes.
He said he could not purchase any item on his list because he went to the market with old notes.
Ogedengbe, who said he was frustrated, added that the new notes were not easy to come by.
He also said attempts to make transfer failed, adding that each attempt showed, “issuer inoperative”.
Vivian Anibe, a student, said she had used the last old N1,000 note on her to buy things she did not need.
Anibe said she went to buy bread but could not because the bread seller was not collecting old notes.
“This whole situation is so worriesome.
“I came out to buy bread but could not because many people are no longer collecting the old notes.
“On my way home, I decided to try one more place and they were still collecting old notes unfortunately they did not have bread.
“I had to buy what I did not budget for but I am happy I have spent the money,” she said
