Enemies of Tinubu responsible for the naira swap policy — El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has accused politicians in the All Progressives Congress (APC) who lost out at their respective gubernatorial and presidential primaries of the party of being behind the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

El-Rufai made this allegation during his late-night broadcast on Thursday as a public statement to voice out his displeasure about a policy he regards as anti-democratic and unsympathetic to the plights of most Nigerians.

In his state broadcast titled, ‘Let us stand up strongly for democracy, peace, and national unity,’ 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.”

He alleged that the idea of the currency redesign was born “once those politicians lost out and Tinubu didn’t pick any of them as his running mates.”

Read also: El-Rufai dares Buhari, says all old notes to remain in use in Kaduna

Systematically, the objectives, with the help of some powerful elements within the presidency, were to “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.”

Another objective was to “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 shortages of fuel, food, and other necessities, leading to mass protests, violence, and a breakdown of law and order that would provide a fertile foundation for a military takeover,” he added.

This statement from the governor seems to be an open challenge to the federal government over a policy that is on the exclusive legislative list.