The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, says that enemies of Nigeria’s democracy are trying to create confusion ahead of the elections by exploiting fuel and naira scarcity. Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, the former Lagos State governor appealed to Nigerians to remain calm despite the lingering shortages that are biting hard into the country.
Tinubu, in a statement signed by Bayo Ononuga, Director of Media & Publicity for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, warned that “enemies of democracy” aim to create a state of national siege and tension capable of disrupting the upcoming general elections. He noted that the people have been forced to bear the brunt of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new naira policy and the irregular supply of petrol, which together have inflicted avoidable pain on the masses. “This is a challenging period in the life of our country when our people are made to stay on the line for hours to get fuel and even to retrieve their own money from the banks,” he said.
“I empathise with Nigerians across the country, especially the poor, who have suffered the most from the CBN’s naira policy and fuel scarcity,” Tinubu added. “While the government continues to work on solving these problems, let us stay calm, maintain peace, and avoid any actions that could cause civil unrest and disharmony. We must say no to those who seek to create a state of national siege and tension, and we must be resolute in protecting our democracy by ensuring the elections are held peacefully and orderly.”
Similarly, the Action Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Yabagi Sani, told Channels Television that enemies of Nigeria are behind the introduction of the naira redesign policy. He claimed the policy was implemented by those opposed to the country’s democratic structure and suggested it was intended to prevent the 2023 elections from taking place.
Meanwhile, thirteen of Nigeria’s eighteen political parties threatened on Monday to withdraw from the 2023 general elections, scheduled for February 25 and March 11, if the Central Bank of Nigeria extends the February 10 deadline for the naira swap. The coalition of party chairmen, which praised President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired) for the redesign of the N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes, insisted that the policy must stand.
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