Amid the hardship and crisis triggered by the central bank’s new naira policy, President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has appealed for greater patience from Nigerians. In a video recorded from Ethiopia, where he attended the recently concluded African Union summit, Buhari said he fully understands the difficulties people are facing and emphasized that the policy aims to improve the country’s economy. “I am appealing to you to exercise further patience as we take appropriate measures to ease these hardships. God willing, there will be light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, released a statement on Sunday titled “In a video to sway voters for Tinubu President Buhari vows end to current hardship.” The statement noted that no small chaos has erupted nationwide following the President’s Thursday announcement that only the old N200 notes will remain legal tender until April 10. All old N500 and N1000 notes, Buhari explained, must be returned to deposit banks by February 17, 2023—a deadline he had approved in Daura, Katsina, on January 30. This announcement came despite a pending Supreme Court order restraining the federal government from enforcing the deadline.
In the same video, Buhari reiterated his awareness of the current hardships caused by government policies intended to bring overall improvement. He urged Nigerians to remain patient, assuring them that relief measures are forthcoming. He also expressed support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, describing him as reliable and confident that he will build on the administration’s achievements. Buhari thanked Nigerians for electing him to the country’s highest office for two terms and clarified that, while he is not a contestant in the upcoming election, he is urging voters to back Tinubu, whom he called “a true believer in Nigeria, who loves the people and the development of our country.”
The President’s message arrives just two days before the APC’s grand finale presidential campaign rally in Lagos, scheduled for Tuesday, which he is expected to attend.
Comments are closed for this story.