Naira Scarcity Is A Problem For Everybody, I’m Penniless Myself – Presidential Candidate Laments

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Kola Abiola has berated the naira redesign policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), saying the timing is very wrong.

Abiola observed that cash scarcity is a big problem that is biting hard at everyone, adding that the current situation is capable of aggravating the security situation in the country.

He lamented that he himself is affected as he has been left penniless because of the new naira policy.

According to him, the scarcity of cash would encourage vote buying as only a few individuals had mopped up the available cash from the system.

“On naira scarcity, it is a problem for everybody, am here penniless myself. The timing is wrong, and I think it is a big problem.

“There is no cash, there is no petrol, in a country that has a serious security problem, you have further heightened this. You make it easy to buy votes because when only one man has the cash, what do you expect,” he told newsmen on Wednesday in Akure, Ondo State.

I’ll Tackle Insecurity

If elected at Saturday’s polls, the PRP candidate promised that security would be the first thing he would give attention.

According to Abiola, security was a problem in every part of the country and must be solved before any reasonable development could take place.

“Insha Allah, when I get there, the first thing to look at is the security architecture, how do we find a short-term solution to the security problem we have in Nigeria today?

“Security is a problem in every part of Nigeria, and if you don’t solve that you have not solved anything,” he said.

We Don’t Rent Crowd

Abiola boasted that his party, the PRP is ready for the election, saying they don’t rent people for campaigns but rather meet the people at the grassroots.

“We are a party that doesn’t rent crowds; we don’t do a loud campaign. We are a party that doesn’t have governors or senators, we only have two House of Representatives members now.

“We are a grassroots party, and the only way we can reach voters is to go on town hall meetings, and we do that on a senatorial district basis and we interact.

“They (people) ask me questions, and I can honestly answer them; I also use that as a playbook to campaign for the candidates; that is why I am in Akure today,” he explained.