The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for claiming that he has stockpiled new naira notes to buy votes while Nigerians are suffering to withdraw cash for their everyday needs.
In a Sunday statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP alleged that Tinubu and APC state governors have hoarded “billions of new naira notes”.
“The APC leaders having realised that they cannot win in the 2023 general elections, sabotaged the system and diverted the new Naira notes so as to create widespread social unrest to justify their plan to derail the elections and truncate our democracy,” the statement read in part.
The main opposition party urged the APC stalwarts to release the new naira notes in their custody to ease the pain of Nigerians.
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However, in a Monday statement issued by the Tinubu Media Office and signed by Mahmud Jega, the APC presidential candidate said that the PDP lied.
“The allegation is simply ludicrous, spurious and a desperate attempt to divert public attention from the anti-people posturing of the PDP candidate, after he and Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi asked the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] not to extend the deadline for the use of old naira notes,” the statement read in part.
“They took the position despite the pains our compatriots are experiencing. They actively promoted the sanctity of the deadline in the calculated hope of reaping political windfall from the people’s suffering.
“We are not surprised that the PDP made a volte face to conjure a completely unfounded allegation against Tinubu. Having realized that Atiku’s selfish, uncaring position has generated popular anger and resentment against him, it came up with this absurd claim that our candidate is mopping up new currency notes.
“We want to assure Nigerians that claim is utterly false.
“Our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being always the voice of the voiceless and champion of the underprivileged, at numerous rallies and campaign stops, identified with our people and boldly called on CBN to extend the deadline and end the public suffering.
“Also spurious, devilish and unconscionable is the claim by two UK-based Nigerians, one Bulama Bukarta and one Jafar Jafar, that the currency change was made because Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stockpiled billions of naira in every state with the intention of vote buying.
“There is no iota of truth in this claim which was concocted for mischievous and devilish purposes by these PDP agents.
“The duo claimed they “heard” the “information” from “knowledgeable sources.” These “sources” clearly exist only in the partisan imagination of Bulama Bukarti and Jafar Jafar.
“They made this serious allegation recklessly without a shred of evidence, believing that by living in the UK, they are beyond the reach of Nigerian laws of defamation.
“We urge all Nigerians to disregard the allegations being peddled by the PDP and its surrogates, Bukarti and Jafar and continue to exercise patience and to exhibit love, support and determination until the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima ticket is delivered at the polls with a landslide,” the statement further read.