By Babalola Seyi
It is now abundantly evident that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, will go to the polls as a split house one week before the 2023 general elections.
The party’s leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, is the target of criticism from his former allies and close associates.
The governors running on the party’s platform have gone on the attack against the president, with some of them openly stating that they would not follow the president’s directives over the Naira redesign policy.
On Thursday, Buhari gave his approval for the old N200 notes to once again be accepted as legal money in a nationwide broadcast. The deadline for the old N1000 and N500 notes, he claimed, remained February 10.
Buhari said, “To further ease the supply pressures, particularly to our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation.
“And that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 when the old N200 notes cease to be legal tender.”
But Governors on the platform of his party, the APC would not have it.
They are insisting the policy was designed by ‘certain elements’ in the presidency, to stop the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu from winning the presidential election.
Leading the onslaught are Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, as well as their Jigawa counterpart, Badaru Abubakar.
El-Rufai and Ganduje are claiming that there was a plan to truncate the country’s democracy and force a military rule.
Their claim is not far from the allegations made by Femi Fani-Kayode, for which he is now a daily guest of the Department of State Services, DSS.
The military was also quick to declare that it had no plan to meddle into the country’s democratic process, warning politicians to be mindful of their utterances.
But the President’s former close men are now voicing out more attacks on his administration.
El-Rufai addressed residents of his State on Thursday evening, asking them to continue using the old Naira notes. This is in total disobedience to the President’s earlier order.
El-rufai urged them to stand up strongly for democracy, peace and national unity.
He said, “Let us stay calm and peaceful, and support the lawful means being utilised to solve our problems. On behalf of the Kaduna State Government, I wish to assure you that none of you would lose the money you have in old notes.
“Let no artificial and illegal deadline frighten you. Whether you live in towns, villages or in our isolated rural communities, do not feel stampeded to deposit your old notes in the banks. Hold on to them.
“Continue to use them as legal tender as ordered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. No deadline can render them worthless, ever. The law is on your side. The Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and the Bills of Exchange Act, both oblige the CBN to recognise your old notes and give you value in new notes whenever you bring them to the CBN, even in the next 100 years.
“Therefore, as your governor, I wish to assure you that the Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with elected legislators, traditional institution, elected local government councils, markets, and traders associations will help you collect, record, document, collate and deliver all your old notes to the Kaduna branch of the Central Bank on your behalf into the new ones immediately after the elections.”
While toeing the same path earlier, Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State came hard on President Buhari, accusing him of refusing to abide by the Supreme Court order.
In an audio recording, Ganduje was quoted in vernacular asking, that, “President Buhari should remember that for several times he was trying to contest Presidency but he couldn’t make it until there was an alliance, but now after enjoying everything, he turned back against the same democratic system that saw him to office”.
He accused the President of refusing to heed genuine advice but chose to do the bidding of those misleading him, even at the detriment of his party, the APC.
“I wonder why the President is hellbent on making the same Party that helped him to win elections lose out, what did we do to him that he is this ignorant on several pieces of advice forwarded to him.
“This same Buhari he contested again and again but he couldn’t win not until there was an alliance. Now he wins and wins again for the second term, now that he is leaving, he wants to cripple the same Party that brought him to power why?
“This Currency Swap Policy, why didn’t the President bring it seven and a half years ago or after elections, but now one must be compelled to think that there is an ulterior motive in the whole thing,” the Kano Governor said.
In Jigawa, the State Government has also said the old naira notes remain legal tender pending the judgement of the Supreme Court.
The state Commissioner for Information, Youths Sports and Culture Bala Ibrahim Mamsa stated this in a statement issued to DAILY POST on Thursday.
According to him “Jigawa State is among the States before the Supreme Court of Nigeria the CBN and the court have issued an order “…restraining the CBN from suspending or determining or ending on the 10th of February, 2023, the time frame within which the now older versions of the 200, 500 and 1000 denominations of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on notice…”
It enjoined its citizens to desist from disobeying the law and causing hardships to the people of the State.
The State government advised the general public to report any trader or business organisation that refused to accept the old N200, N500, and N1000 notes as legal tender in Jigawa State to the nearest appropriate authorities.
