Datti: Shift in Old Naira Deadline Portrays Buhari as Weak Leader

The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has said that the extension of the deadline for the use of old N200 notes implied weakness on the part of Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari.

Datti who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe contended that for Buhari to have shifted grounds twice, showed that he was not firm, and may still make another shift when the new deadline elapses.

“It is mixed feelings because when you see a president budge once, however small, those mighty (people) that prevailed on him to budge will see a gleam of hope to press further.

“Maybe this president is becoming a weakling, as they would say a lame duck President, and if you cede one inch, you are likely to cede another inch.

“So, it is a lot of concern for us for the president to change position literally nine days to the election.

“However, we have recognised the fact, currency is a sovereign matter and no state governor especially those who don’t respect court judgement have any right to interfere with the Federal government in issues about currency.

“It has been done and it stays and it was poorly implemented and everything about government is poorly done including our economy, security as well as the level of corruption and we have come to live with it.

“We pray that the election would go well so that as His Majesty said if election is well done, it can open the space for good governance,” he said.

While receiving the vice presidential candidate, Obi Nnaemeka Achebe said the Joint Body of South East Council of Traditional Rulers and body of Arch Bishops and Bishops had earlier lamented that the Peace Accord signed by the Presidential candidates under the platform of the National Peace Committee headed by Gen Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd) had been severally violated.

Follow us on: