Governor of Kaduna State Nasir el‑Rufai again took aim on Thursday at “elements in the Presidency” that he says are trying to incite voters against the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking on the TV Continental programme *Journalists’ Hangout*, the governor criticised the cashless policy’s timetable, calling it a source of needless pain for Nigerians. His comments came as APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at a rally in Osogbo, urged the electorate to vote “even if they devalue the naira drastically.” Tinubu promised that voters would still turn up, saying, “Even if they devalue the naira, the polling stations are not far from our homes; we will trek down to the ballot boxes.”
El‑Rufai’s remarks follow a statement he made a day earlier on Channels Television’s *Sunrise* programme, in which he claimed that supporters of the candidate who lost the APC ticket to the former Lagos governor were working against the party’s standard‑bearer. Minister of Information Lai Mohammed had previously said the government was not “officially aware” of any entity in the Presidential Villa acting against the APC candidate. El‑Rufai echoed Tinubu’s view that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s naira redesign and the ongoing fuel crisis were part of a plot to thwart the election and his expected victory. He vowed that those opposing the APC candidate would be defeated and eventually unmasked, adding, “Unmasking them is not as joyful as defeating them. They will be unmasked in time.”
He argued that the party had already thwarted attempts to install an “anointed” presidential candidate without due process, noting that many of the conspirators had never won an election themselves. “I have been elected twice with over a million votes in Kaduna State; I can speak for the people. None of these people can,” he said, insisting that the current focus was to alert Nigerians to the malicious elements seeking to incite anti‑APC sentiment.
El‑Rufai also defended the cashless policy, not opposing it but calling for a longer transition period so citizens can deposit money in banks. He highlighted the lack of banking infrastructure in many parts of the country, citing blind spots without network coverage, few bank branches, and limited point‑of‑sale (PoS) devices. “Is a few weeks reasonable in a country of one million square kilometres and over 200 million people?” he asked, pointing out that in Borno only two of 27 local governments have a bank branch, and similar shortages exist in Yobe and Kaduna. He warned that expecting people to travel long distances to a single branch or to find PoS terminals in remote LGAs is unrealistic.
The governor accused PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar of exploiting the cash shortage for political gain. After previously calling for an extension of the Central Bank deadline, Atiku now opposed any further extension, which El‑Rufai said “clearly benefits him.” He claimed that people in Kaduna cannot buy or sell food because of the lack of currency notes, and that Atiku’s stance fuels incitement against the APC, especially in the north where the former vice‑president hopes to gain votes.
El‑Rufai further observed that candidates from other parties, except the New Nigeria Peoples Party, could leverage relationships with banks to obtain cash, exacerbating the shortage. The scarcity of both old and new naira notes forced federal workers in Abuja to abandon their offices and queue at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). Correspondents reported deserted ministries in the Three Arms Zone as staff left to seek cash. One civil servant, Chigozie, said he had only N500 and might not be able to work the next day without cash. Another worker noted that many colleagues were absent, and those present spent most of their time at ATM queues.
The cash crunch has hit junior staff hardest, with many unable to obtain even small amounts for daily expenses. An Aviation Ministry employee warned he might stop reporting to work next week if the situation does not improve. Senators from both parties have called for extending the February 10 deadline for old notes, arguing that the policy is causing widespread hardship. APC Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West) condemned the Central Bank Governor, calling the situation a sabotage of any good intentions behind the currency change and urging a vote of no confidence. PDP Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East) echoed the sentiment, saying the scarcity is “very difficult” and that the Senate must act.
Other legislators voiced similar concerns. Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) noted that banking was already a problem in his constituency, now worsened by the lack of new notes. House members also reported the policy’s impact on their re‑election campaigns. Lagos Representative Babatunde Hunpe said constituents, especially fishermen and farmers, cannot receive money online, forcing him to rely on cash that is unavailable. Benue Representative John Dyegh lamented that cash shortages hindered his campaign travel, while Adamawa’s Abdulrazak Namdas called the policy “good in principle but badly implemented at the wrong time,” stressing that many Nigerians still need physical cash for daily transactions.
Niger State Governor Abubakar Bello, via a statement from his secretary Ibrahim Matane, said the cash shortage has forced the closure of rural markets and urban shops, deepening hardship. In Kwara State, Point‑of‑Sale Super Agents complained of the shortage, while CBN Director of Consumer Protection Rashidat Mangunu urged Nigerians to exchange old notes with PoS agents and open savings accounts. The Kwara branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress warned that the unavailability of new notes threatens living standards and the national economy.
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