By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Disturbed by the incessant attacks on the Currency Redesign Policy of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by one of the presidential candidates in the 2023 general election, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), and the Forum of Presidential Candidates have urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to fall for the antics of some corrupt politicians calling on him to truncate the new policy and to extend the deadline for the return of the old Naira notes.
This is even as the CUPP said it has mandated its attorneys to head to the court of competent jurisdiction to file a suite against the CBN and Buhari not to extend the deadline for the return of the old naira notes after the 17 days grace earlier announced by the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele at the expiration of the January 31 first deadline.
Speaking at a well attended ‘World Press Conference by Joint Chairmen of 18 Political Parties and Presidential Candidates for 2023 General Election On State of the Nation on Currency Redesign Policy of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’, CUPP warned that any attempt by both President Buhari and CBN to further extend the deadline for the old naira notes to seize to be a legal tender in Nigeria will trigger resistance by the opposition political parties in Nigeria.
The group also called on the President to ensure that the elections go on as any attempt to postpone it will be resisted by CUPP and Nigerians who cannot wait for the elections to come for them to choose their leaders.
According to the leaders of the opposition force, another extension of the deadline for the return of the old Naira notes will have negative implications on the 2023 general election hence they will not hesitate to boycott the upcoming elections.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari and CBN Governor not to succumb to the blackmail by some desperate politicians to have the Naira Redesign Policy scrapped. We make bold to say that all the political parties will boycott the general election if Buhari shits the deadline again”, CUPP warned.
The group also disclosed that they have mandated their lawyers to head to the court of to institute a suite against the CBN and Buhari not to extend the deadline for the return of the old naira notes after the 17 days grace earlier announced by the CBN.
CUPP however passed a Vote of Confidence on Redesigned Naira Notes Policy of CBN, insisting that it will curb electoral malpractices especially Vote Buying and voters inducements by corrupt politicians who have stockpiled old Naira notes which they intend to deploy to buy votes in the 2023 general election.
“We in CUPP have passed a Vote of Confidence on CBN’s Redesigned Naira Notes Policy.
The CBN Policy will checkmate Vote Buying. We have heard about operation ‘wire wire’ which corrupt politicians are employing. We wonder why it’s only one presidential candidate who is kicking against the CBN Policy. The rest 17 presidential candidates are not opposed to it so why is only one person complaining.
“We warn CBN not to listen to only one presidential candidate who wants the policy jettisoned for his self interest when the majority of our people have moved on with their lives”, CUPP posited.
The opposition coalition parties therefore advised Nigerians who hid huge cash in their basement and sewage pipes to bring them out without delay before it seizes to be a legal tender in Nigeria.
Also speaking at the briefing, Chief Osita Nnadi, Presidential Candidate of Action Peoples Party (APP), who spoke on behalf of the 17 other Presidential Candidates said CUPP is solidly behind the CBN Policy and urged President Buhari to not bat an eyelid in his support for the full implementation of the Redesigned Naira notes Policy of CBN no matter the pressure from his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors.
