‘Natural Death’: APC Governors Request Indefinite Extension of Old Naira’s Legal Tender Status

Governors of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to postpone the deadline for the currency swap of the newly redesigned 1,000, 500 and 200 Naira notes.

They also asked for both old and new notes co-exist to ease the suffering of Nigerians.

The governor of Kano State Umar Ganduje told ARISE NEWS after the governor’s closed door meeting with the President on Friday that the president promised to look into their request. According to Ganduje, the old Naira should die a “natural death”. 

Aslo, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, who spoke to some reporters in Hausa language after the meeting said while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mopped up over N2 trillion of the old notes, it printed only N300 billion new notes, which he said is not enough.

El-Rufai, who spoke in company of his Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, said even if the CBN had wanted to implement the cashless policy, it should have printed a half of what it mopped up, for a start, which ought to be N1 trillion. 

He said the APC Governors told the President that the masses are suffering and traders are losing their goods due to lack of patronage citing the example of tomatoes sellers that travelled to Lagos with their goods, which all got wasted because people had no money to buy.

On this ground, the Kaduna State Governor said the governors had no choice but to appeal to the President to reconsider his stances. 

El-Rufai, however, revealed that President Buhari did not tell them yes or no. 

He also added that the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, has gone back to hold private meeting with the President with the hope to convince him.

The meeting between the Governors and the president comes on the heels of widening cracks within the fold of the governing party with allegations from the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai that some people within the presidential villa are working against the victory of the party and the presidential candidate , Bola Tinubu.

Mosunmola Ogi-Olu 

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