El-Rufai denies APC governors are against naira redesign because it prevents them from inducing voters

GOVERNOR Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has denied rumours that several All Progressives Congress (APC) governors are against the naira redesign because it would prevent them from inducing voters during the forthcoming elections.

On November 23 last year, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched redesigned ₦‎200, ₦‎500 and ₦‎1000 banknotes, saying the naira was long overdue to wear a new look. Nigerians had been given until January 31 to hand in all old notes, after which time they will cease to be legal tender but the process has been fraught with difficulties, prompting the National Assembly to ask the CBN to extend the deadline.

Under pressure from all angles, CBN chairman Godwin Emefiele announced a new deadline of  February 10. However, the last few weeks have been sheer hell for Nigerians as they have found it impossible to get hold of these new notes and this currency scarcity has created shortages in other areas, with petrol shortages now a chronic problem too.

In the midst of all this chaos, the Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara state governments asked Nigeria's Supreme Court to order the immediate suspension of the demonetisation policy. In its ruling on the matter, the court temporarily cancelled the CBN’s  February 10 deadline.

According to Governor El-Rufai, governors kicked against the policy as a result of the hardship it had brought upon the citizens, adding that the policy had pitched the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the citizens. He added that the currency redesign was not enough to stop voter inducements.

Governor El-Rufai said: “We reviewed this policy and the hardship it put people into and the feeling of hatred Nigerians developed for the APC because Nigerians are putting the blame on the APC and the people who introduced the policy did it to make our party lose in the election. After we finished our review, we agreed that the judgment of the supreme court should be followed, which is that the old and new notes should be used until the case is over.

“Did vote-buying start today? Why was the money not redesigned before? Why now? Secondly, is vote-buying only done with naira? It can be bought using the dollar, euro, CFA Franc and you can give the voters food.

“There are several ways through which you can buy votes. You cannot take money out of politics but you can reduce it.”

He maintained that CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, in connivance with opposition party members sold the policy to the president. Also, Governor El-Rufai said the president had refused to reverse the policy because he had been told governors are thieves.

Governor El-Rufai said: “We are not against this policy because of vote buying. I swear to God, we are against it because of how we saw people suffering, not the elections.

“The people who pushed for the naira redesign are not members of the APC. You see Godwin Emefiele, it was the PDP that brought him. The others with whom the decision was taken with them know them and when the time comes, will expose them because they are not members of our party.