By-Leon Usigbe, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday demanded that the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and APC state governors should immediately release billions of new naira notes allegedly in their custody and halt the anguish being experienced by Nigerians.
A statement issued by Debo Ologunagba, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, noted that it is wicked and unpardonable that “the same band of deceptive, sneaky and hypocritical APC leaders who are deeply involved in intercepting and hoarding of new Naira notes, are going about trying to hoodwink Nigerians by posturing as though they are concerned about their plight.”
The main opposition party observed that the controversial Naira redesign and swap policies are programmes of the APC administration, which it said is also completely in control of the production and circulation of the new notes.
The statement added: “The APC leaders have realized that they cannot win in the 2023 general elections, sabotaged the system and diverted the new Naira notes to create widespread social unrest to justify their plan to derail the elections and truncate our democracy.
“Our Party has been informed by some well-meaning APC members on how six APC State governors led by a particular infamous Governor of a prominent State in the North West region are coordinating the hoarding of new Naira notes for the vote buying scheme of the APC ahead of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election.”
The statement said the party has also been made aware of how APC governors are allegedly warehousing the new Naira notes in facilities owned by APC interests in Lagos, Kano, Kogi, Kaduna, Imo and other parts of the country for vote buying for Senator Tinubu in the Presidential election.
It further said: “Nigerians can recall that the APC was recently busted in the process of swapping the sum of N22.5 billion in old N1000 notes for new ones in Kano State for vote buying, in a deal wherein a substantial part of the old notes was allegedly conveyed to Lagos State for secret swapping with new notes.
“It is therefore callous for APC leaders to continue to watch Nigerians spend nights at ATM stands, fight one another in bank halls and ATM centers for cash with millions stranded without money to take care of their daily needs.”
The PDP called on Nigerians to hold the APC and its leaders directly responsible for the pain, economic hardship, social dislocation and psychological distress they are going through because of APC-induced cash scarcity in the country.
“The APC has again demonstrated that it is part of very cruel, insensitive and self-centred politicians who relish in inflicting pain, anguish and life-discounting situations on our citizens in the last seven and half years of the APC administration.
“Our Party therefore urges Nigerians not to allow the deception, lies and shenanigans of the APC to detract from their collective resolve to end the era of misery in our country by voting Atiku Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria so that he can commence the onerous task of rebuilding our nation from the abysmal misrule of the vicious APC,” the statement declared.
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