Naira redesign is senseless, Emefiele deceived Buhari to get approval – Oshiomhole
Naira redesign is senseless, Emefiele deceived Buhari to get approval – Oshiomhole
A former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress [APC], Adams Oshiomhole has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari was deceived into approving the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Oshiomhole, while speaking on a political programme on the Channels Television on Sunday night, Oshiomhole said that the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, took advantage of the president’s zero tolerance for corruption to convince him to approve the policy.
He said: “CBN’s naira redesign policy is senseless… CBN deceived Buhari and the intention behind it was to stop the elections.
“Having worked as a chairman [of APC] which enabled me to work directly with the president, I know the trick that the CBN played.
“We have a president who has told the world that if Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. So, I can guess that in obtaining the approval that the president said he gave, I believe the CBN deceived the president by amplifying the need to have a corruption-free electioneering as if election is the only project which the president has the responsibility for.
“I am shocked that the CBN could pursue this senseless policy. It is not about the idea of changing currency, this governor has broken no new ground because we have changed currency before and I dare him to check the records.
“When Gen Buhari changed the colours of the naira when he did in his first coming as the military head of state, he did not forbid the banks from paying people in new notes, he did not impose restriction as to how much you can withdraw provided it is your lawful money.
“To assume that every Nigerian is corrupt…and that this policy is meant to check corruption, the CBN is not part of institutions charged with the responsibility of ensuring free, fair and credible election.”
Oshiomhole re-echoed El-Rufai’s claims, stressing that the naira redesign was not meant to stop abuses as claimed by the CBN governor but to truncate the electoral processes.
The former APC National Chairman said: “I think what El-Rufai is saying is when you have a pocket of riots and protests here and there…you may end up with the situation where you are unable to conduct an election.”
The CBN had announced the new naira notes policy on 26 October, 2022 and initially gave 31 January as the deadline for the use of the old notes, but later extended it to February 10.
