Naira Redesign: El-Rufai, APC Govs Plotting To Buy Votes – CNPP

The Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has accused the Governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to buy votes in the forthcoming elections.

The CNPP said Nigerians cannot be fooled by the antics of the APC governors who are fighting President Muhammadu and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over the naira redesign policy.

In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Willy Ezugwu, the CNPP said the governors are not fighting for the wellbeing of the people but are pained that the naira redesign policy has thwarted their plans to buy votes in the upcoming elections.

It called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State to order regarding his allegations that a nationwide shortage of cash was created to incite the citizens to vote against APC candidates across the country.

The CNPP also commended the President over the directive on temporary recirculation of old 200 naira notes as legal tender until April 10.

It said the presidential directive is in order in view of the obvious sabotage of the distribution of the redesigned naira notes by unpatriotic politicians conniving with commercial banks.

The statement reads: “Unpatriotic politicians who cannot win elections without vote buying are bent on stockpiling the new naira notes in their desperation to rig the 2023 general elections. This is the real reason for the cash crunch in Nigeria

“For us, President Muhammadu Buhari would be declared a 2023 hero of democracy, and his administration’s many failures forgiven, if he sees through a free, fair, and credible 2023 general elections.

“We urge Nigerians not to allow themselves to be deceived by the APC governors who never took the federal government to court over police brutality (which culminated in the #EndSARS protests).

“Nigerians have experienced an uncountable loss of lives and property as a result of insecurity, the pains of the perennial fuel scarcity, and many other failed policies of the APC-led federal government but the APC Governors never made a statement but they were quick to drag the federal government to the Supreme Court for implementing its own cashless policy because of obvious vote buying agenda of the party.

“Contrary to El-Rufai’s allegations that a nationwide shortage of cash was created to incite the citizens to vote against APC candidates across the board, resulting in massive losses for the party in all the elections, the fact is that APC government scored zero over eight in its eight years tenure and if Nigerians are voting against the party, it is not because of the impact of the cash crunch, but for continuously inflicting sufferings and pains on Nigerians since 2015.

“Governor El-Rufai was speaking from his own imagination when he alleged that the naira redesign policy was to ensure that the cash crunch is so serious, along with the contrived and enduring fuel shortage existing since September 2022, so that the 2023 elections do not hold at all, leading to an Interim National Government to be led by a retired Army General.

“The CNPP had on many occasions insisted that the lingering fuel scarcity was as a result of the corruption and incompetence of the management team of the NNPC. So, at what point did El-Rufai realise that the fuel scarcity is as a result of sabotage?”

The CNPP said after the glaring failure to perform in eight years, the APC governors and their collaborators have been making allegations and insinuating that there is a scheme for a military take-over.

It added: “APC Governors must be told that the Nigerian military has subjected itself to civilian authorities in Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999 and has continued to support internal security operations in the country and dragging the military into the desperation of some APC leaders was aimed at derailing President Muhammadu Buhari’s vow to leave a legacy of free, fair and credible elections this year. This is selfish and unpatriotic.

“The CNPP, therefore, urges Nigerians to ignore the conspiring APC governors and support the federal government’s cashless policy and look forward to a better country after rejecting vote buyers and electing credible candidates in the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections as well as in the March 11 gubernatorial and state assembly polls.”