New Currency Deadline: Atiku Scared at CBN Decision

The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Atiku Abubakar has Condemned the recent extention of the 31 January deadline on new currency swap to Feb 17th to enable people at the grassroots and the less privileged to swap their currency to avoid loss.

The Presidential candidate warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) against further extension of the February 10, 2023 deadline on the old naira notes swap.

The former Vice president, in a statement personally signed, alerted that some forces opposed to the conduct of a free and fair election were ganging up against the CBN.

“The CBN should be wary of the elite whose motive for crying out about more postponement of the deadline for the tenure of the old naira notes is sinister and far from being altruistic. I am totally in support of building a cashless economy and reducing the amount of cash in our economy.” Atiku stated.

In his view, “The anti-democratic elements who are pretending to be democrats are the ones ganging up against the CBN because of the currency redesigning and the cashless regime it seeks to enthrone. They have been scheming and lobbying day and night to frustrate the policy. Now, their new measure is to lobby for a second postponement of the deadline for the change of currency. I urge the CBN and the government to ignore their antics. The CBN should not succumb to the current pressure.

“There should be no further postponement of the new naira regime after the expiration of the February 10 deadline. The vote riggers are seeking to push the CBN to extend till after the election when they would have achieved their evil plots. The CBN and the Presidency should be steadfast. The merits of the new naira policy far outweigh the little inconvenience we are experiencing” he noted

This is one policy that will benefit the country in the long term. We should not allow those selfish, parochial people with the narrow vision to derail it”, Atiku stated.

He explained that “The cashless policy and reduction of the cash in circulation has many advantages and every patriotic Nigerian should support the CBN on this. It will help to reduce the flow of illicit funds in our economy. It will help to defeat the funding of terrorism and deter the circulation of drug money in our economy. It will help our fight against corruption.

The former Vice president said “a cashless economy will help to save and grow our democracy. Those who have devised several means of buying votes in the coming elections and using money to corrupt the electoral system as well as destroying the principle of one man, one vote and the goal of a credible, peaceful, free, and fair poll are the ones shouting against the cashless policy and naira redesign.” Atiku stated.