Naira scarcity: Nobody has more money than Atiku – Osita Okechukwu begs El-Rufai, APC leaders

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osita Okechukwu, has called on the APC governors to remain calm over the naira standoff between them and the Federal Government.

Osita made the appeal while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme on Monday.

The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, was reacting to Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s decision to kick against the new monetary policy by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had warned that old notes would no longer be accepted as legal tenders by February 10, 2023, a declaration that led to a suit at the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had given an interim injunction against the CBN, halting the ban on old N200, N500 and N1000 notes after the February 10 deadline.

But President Buhari, during a national broadcast last Thursday, overruled the Supreme Court, insisting that the old N500 and N1000 notes were no longer legal tenders but extended the validity of only the old N200 notes.

However, El-Rufai, in an address to the people of Kaduna, emphasised that the old notes remain legal tender until the Supreme Court decides otherwise.

Speaking on the development, Osita insisted that Sunday’s meeting between Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the APC, El-Rufai and other governors of the party had put everything to rest.

Osita said: “National chairman of our great party have had a meeting with all of them [APC governors] yesterday and they have come to a middle ground, and also, listening to Mr President in faraway Ethiopia, I agreed he is aware of the hardship and feels it and he is trying to gather all necessary indicators to get it eased.

“So let’s not go too deep. I think yesterday’s meeting, which distinguished Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of our party, conveyed, had put that to rest because far back in the United Nations General Assembly, Mr President had insisted that he wants to bequeath to Nigeria a legacy of a free and fair election.

“My only appeal to my governors is that nobody has more money for this election than Atiku Abubakar, but luckily, he has managed to keep calm, so if you are talking about money, I don’t think his Excellency Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has more money than Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”