The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, described the actions of the governors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) towards the new naira redesign as a promotion and provocation of anarchy in the country.
According to the former Vice President, the APC governors are preparing the grounds for anarchy in the country through their utterances over the Naira redesign policy.
The Special Assistant on Public Communications to Atiku, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, in a statement on Monday, said the PDP candidate, sympathised with Nigerians over the hardship they were facing over the naira scarcity, which was having unintended consequences.
Shaibu, however, said the inciting comments by some APC governors wherein they threatened to shut banks rejecting the old notes are the things that caused riots that led to the burning down of commercial banks.
According to Shaibu, the utterances of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who threatened to revoke the certificate of occupancy of banks for rejecting the old notes, has caused rebellion and uprising in Ogun State, describing the governor as a dictator.
“The President made it clear that the old N1,000 and N500 notes are no longer legal tender. Those who are dissatisfied with the President’s proclamation should go to court rather than resort to self-help. Two wrongs do not make a right.
“Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is the number one citizen of Ogun State, ought to know better. However, he has been threatening to revoke the C of O of banks that obey the President’s proclamation. This act of defiance has evoked rebellion, hence the riots and burning of banks in Sagamu, Abeokuta, and Mowe”. He said.
Shaibu criticised the All Progressives Congress chapter in Ogun State for distributing old naira notes to voters ahead of the election as seen in viral videos.
“In viral videos all over social media, agents of Governor Abiodun could be seen sharing the old notes in envelopes branded with the governor’s picture, convincing the supporters that the notes remain legal tenders contrary to the CBN policy.
“It is obvious that Governor Abiodun’s concern has nothing to do with the pains of the people. It is only because of the inability of his party to buy votes. If we may ask, where did the APC in Ogun State get the old notes that are no longer in circulation? These are funds that were stashed for vote buying.” He added.
Shaibu also noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had accused APC chieftain, Adams Oshiomhole, of sponsoring the riots in Benin, which he said was clear evidence that the APC was behind the riots.
“Oshiomhole is one of the biggest critics of the Naira redesign policy. It is not surprising that Governor Obaseki, who is the chief security officer of the state, has established that Oshiomhole is behind the riots. The APC really needs to stop provoking these riots,” he said.
Shaibu also knocked Kaduna State Governor, Nasir ell-Rufai; and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State for trying to provoke civil disobedience in their states.
He said, “The APC and their governors do not love the masses. Their only grouse is their inability to buy votes because of this policy. Nigerians must not be deceived by these unscrupulous politicians.”
According to the Atiku’s aide, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and other security agencies, should infiltrate the ranks of those staging riots with a view to identifying their sponsors.
He said the ultimate goal might be to force the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the election on the grounds of insecurity.
“With elections less than five days away, the ultimate goal of the sponsors of these riots may be the postponement of elections. We commend the military and the police so far for curbing some of these riots.
“However, we call on them to go a step further by identifying their sponsors” he said
