…Says vote buyers behind extension plot
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to further extend its February 10 deadline for swapping the old naira notes with the newly redesigned naira notes.
The PDP flagbearer, who stated his position on the issue in an issued statement, accused people who want to engage in vote buying as well as use money to corrupt the electoral system in the forthcoming general election of being against the cashless policy and the naira redesign.
Atiku expressed his total support of building a cashless economy and reducing the amount of cash in the nation’s economic sphere.
According to him, the CBN should immediately review the measures it has put in place for ensuring the seamless circulation of the new naira notes.
Atiku, in the statement, said,“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.
Recall that on January 28, 2023, Atiku Abubakar in a message called for a slight extension of the January 31 deadline given by the CBN for the swapping of the old naira notes with the redesigned new naira notes at the banks.
The former Vice-President who applauded the monetary conversion policy as a worldwide practice, however, maintained that the deadline is unsuitable and as such should be slightly adjusted.
