Naira Scarcity Plot To Disrupt Elections, Form Interim Government – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has alleged that the current naira scarcity and the lingering fuel shortage across the country are part of an attempt to scuttle the forthcoming elections in order to form an Interim Government.

In a statewide broadcast on Thursday night in Kaduna, the state capital,  the governor claimed that the Interim government would be led by a retired Army General.

El-Rufai said the naira redesign policy was conceived and sold to President Muhammadu Buhari by those who completely lost out in the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial and presidential primaries.

He claimed that the naira redesign and the subsequent cash scarcity are part of moves to sabotage the expected victory of the presidential candidate of the ruling party, Bola Tinubu.

He said: “It is important for the people of Kaduna state, and indeed Nigeria, to know that contrary to the public pronouncements and apparent good intentions, this policy was conceived and sold to the President by officials who completely lost out in the Gubernatorial and Presidential Primaries of the APC in June 2022.

“Once Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emerged as the candidate in June 2022, and subsequently did not pick one of them as his running mate, this currency redesign policy was conceived to ensure that the APC presidential candidate is deprived of what they alleged is a humongous war chest.

“They also sought to achieve any one or more of following objectives: Create a nationwide shortage of cash so that citizens are incited to vote against APC candidates across the board resulting in massive losses for the Party in all the elections.

“Ensure that the cash crunch is so serious, along with the contrived and enduring fuel shortage existing since September 2022, that the 2023 Elections do not hold at all, leading to an interim national government to be led by a retired army general.

“Sustain the climate of shortage of fuel, food, and other necessities, leading to mass protests, violence, and breakdown of law and order that would provide a fertile foundation for a military take-over.”

Recall that President Buhari, in his nationwide broadcast earlier on Thursday morning, maintained that the naira redesign policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stands.

Buhari said only the old N200 notes would be acceptable for transactions, while the old N500 and N1000 remain banned, as announced by the apex bank earlier.

The Nigerian leader also asked Nigerians to take the old denominations to the CBN and designated places.