Why El-Rufai, Others Dragged Buhari Govt To Court Over Naira Redesign – Melaye

The spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dino Melaye, has reacted to the suit filed by three governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the Muhammadu Buhari government over the naira redesign policy.

In a statement on Tuesday, the former Kogi West Senator said the governors dragged the federal government to court over the naira redesign because of their selfish interest.

Naija News reported that Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and Bello Matawalle (Matawalle) took the federal government to court over the policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In an ex parte motion filed through their lawyer, AbdulHakeem Mustapha, the governors prayed to the court to stop further implementation of the naira redesign policy over the hardship imposed on their people who find it difficult to swap their old naira notes for new ones, particularly those living in the rural areas.

They also prayed the court to grant them an interim injunction stopping the Federal Government either by itself or acting through the Central Bank of Nigeria, Money Deposit Banks or their agents from implementing the February 10 deadline of swapping the old 200, 500 and 1000 currency notes for new ones.

According to Melaye, the three governors are scared of losing their expected benefits if the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, lose the February 25 election.

He said the APC has, in panic mode, resorted to outright falsehood against the PDP flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar, the imaginary cabal in the Presidential Villa, and the Governor of Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Melaye added that the ruling party has also abused and blackmailed the Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, and even President Muhammadu Buhari.

The PDP chieftain, therefore, asked Nigerians to vote out the ruling party in the forthcoming presidential election and return PDP to power.

The statement reads: “Frightened by the unmistakable and unstoppable prospects of the loss of the presidential election, the APC has, in panic mode, resorted to outright falsehood against Atiku Abubakar, the imaginary APC cabal in the Villa, the Governor of Central Bank, the Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and even the leader of their party, President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Going by the propagated lies of the power hawks in APC led by Nasir El-Rufai, all things have ever been done to favour Atiku. By their postulation, the APC cabal in Aso Rock has done everything to favour Atiku, including the trillions of naira debt overhang, the spiralling inflation, insecurity, fuel scarcity, job losses, brain drain and unemployment.

“The current narrative being peddled is anchored on a conspiracy theory involving the aforementioned in an agenda that reflects ethnic pursuit. Having boasted that the APC has money to buy votes and having failed to mask behind a pretentious preference of power shift to the South, the new song is now against the indomitable Atiku as the favourite of the powers in Aso Rock, the Governor of the Central Bank and the Managing Director of NNPC. And I ask if the humiliated Nigerian masses and the key figures of the APC administration are against APC in an election year, how can it think of victory in the Presidential election?

“Those who have positioned themselves to benefit from the unlikely and inconceivable Tinubu presidency are feeling so threatened, hopeless and rudderless that they have even now taken their own President to court over his refusal to endorse their evil agenda of using public funds to buy votes. As it happened in the Egypt of old, their money has failed in their hands.”

Melaye further said Nigerians had given the APC “a long rope” and could now discern the leaders that could serve them, adding that “the greatest campaigner against the APC today is the APC.”

He further noted that unlike Tinubu, “Atiku is advancing rapidly to breast the tape. Like a striker on the soccer field, his opponents and defenders are doing everything to launch a sliding tackle. At this stage of the game, Atiku is already in the penalty box.

“The more the tackles, the greater his prospect of scoring. And with the panic defense being launched by the APC, it is obvious that they have, by their own confusion, scored an own goal. Head or tail, Atiku is the winner, as we now have the hosting fans booing their own home team and applauding the opponent.”