Spokesperson for the Coalition of Northern Groups, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman
Pan-Arewa socio-political organisation under the aegis of the Coalition of 52 Northern Groups on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged plot by some powerful forces to scuttle the February 25 presidential election.
The spokesperson of the CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, raised the alarm at a press conference in Abuja.
According to him, the coalition had credible intelligence that there is a grand plan to create a chaotic atmosphere in the country before, during and after the elections.
Suleiman said, “CNG notes particularly the ratification and vigorous pursuit of a regime of harsh unrealistic economic and financial policies less than a month to the election, inflicting pains on the electorates and heating up the political atmosphere.
“Another hard proof of a potential threat to a peaceful transition through an acceptable electoral process is having fuel scarcity grounding activities and frustrating the population a month before the election.
“At the same time, embarking on naira exchange and making the new currency scarce by the CBN is another latent ground for suspicion.
“The timing for the implementation of such a policy in a country in which the total number of deposit money bank branches is just 5,437 with a concentration of 1,624 branches in Lagos alone, other southern states 2,235, and the entire Northern Nigerian states 1,188, Abuja 390 is certainly a calculated to effort to bring about general confusion that would threaten the 2023 polls.
“The hard stance on not going back on the January 31 deadline despite the patriotic intervention of the Nigerian Senate urging the CBN to extend the deadline by six months, the outright rejection of the policy by the House of Representatives and the Nigerian Governors Forum, has inadvertently made the situation all the more suspicious.”
The CNG called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to absolve himself by standing against any machination against the conduct of credible elections and peaceful handover.
The organisation also called on Nigerians not to be discouraged from casting their votes during the election.
