Politics
Naira Crisis: Tinubu, APC Govs meet, urge Buhari to allow old notes
In a last-ditch effort to resolve the lingering cash crisis that has thrown the entire country into turmoil, governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress on Sunday met with the party leadership at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
This was as the chief executive officers of banks also met to proffer solutions to the situation which had led to attacks on banks and the death of no fewer than 13 persons across the country.
The development is coming barely six days before the presidential and National Assembly polls slated for Saturday, February 25, 2023
No fewer than 12 governors turned up for the crucial meeting with the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and other National Working Committee members, which started at 2.37pm
At the meeting were governors Nasir El Rufai (Kaduna), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Sani Bello (Niger), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and members of the National Working Committee of the party in attendance.
Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) were absent, while Imo and Katsina state governors were represented by their deputies.
The party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, later joined the meeting at 4.45pm.
Addressing journalists shortly before their closed-door session, Adamu expressed delight with the turnout, noting the imperative of the meeting.
He said, “It is my privilege to welcome you to this important and emergency meeting. We have found a situation where there is a pressing need to get together as standard bearers of our states in Nigeria who were elected on the platform of our great party, the APC.
“I am happy with the response so far. And it is my understanding that more of the governors are on their way. You will recall the recent development that has necessitated the need for this invitation.
“We do not want to sit in judgment over anybody or bodies with regard to what is going on today in the country as it affects our great party. I thought it best to get all those who are holding forth in the critical positions in the party to get together and have some interaction so that we can have a better interpretation and appreciation of the situation that we are in. That is the essence of this invitation.”
Contrary to an order of the Supreme Court that the Federal Government should suspend the February 10 deadline for swapping the old naira notes with new ones, the Central Bank of Nigeria refused to shift the deadline.
Three states
The apex court order followed a suit filed by Zamfara, Kogi and Kaduna state governments against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
States including Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Kano, Sokoto, Ogun and Cross River have also joined the suit as co-plaintiffs.
The crisis between the governors and the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), worsened on Thursday when the President in his nationwide broadcast ignored the apex court by extending the validity of old N200 notes while insisting that old N500 and N1,000 remained illegal.
Buhari in his state broadcast said the old N200 note would be legal tender for the next 60 days, till April 10, 2023, while urging Nigerians to deposit their old N500 and 1000 notes with the Central Bank.
After the APC NWC and governors’ meeting which ended at 7.15pm, journalists were invited into the venue, where the chairman addressed them on the outcome of the parley.
Adamu lamented that although the naira redesign was a good move, the timing and the pain it had brought on Nigerians has necessitated the need for both the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and the AGF, Abubakar Malami to avoid misleading the President.
He said, “I’m sure you are quite aware of the fact that a meeting comprising the APC governors was held today and the leadership of the NWC of our great party was summoned. We had a discussion and at the end of the discussion, we have resolved as follows: That this resolution is without prejudice or whatsoever to the case that is lying at the Supreme Court at this point in time. This has to do with the issue of currency redesign.
“We noted very seriously that the programme and its implementation are causing tremendous difficulties to the people of Nigeria and to the national economy. That we urge the Attorney General of the Federation and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to respect the supreme court order of interim injunction which is still subsisting
“That the meeting is urging his Excellency, Mr President, to intervene in resolving issues that are causing this great difficulties to the economy,”
When prodded to comment on the need for the presence of the APC Tinubu, at the meeting, Adamu disclosed that “Tinubu’s visit is a normal visit.”
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum and the Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, expressed satisfaction with the level of mobilisation that had gone into the campaign of their presidential candidate.
He stated, “As the chairman spoke, the governors and the party are one and the same. And I am very proud about the conduct of our campaign by our presidential candidate
“The Director General of the campaign and indeed, governors and the candidate across the country have been doing a tremendous job of mobilizing the Nigerian populace and we are very, very impressed with the support of the majority of Nigeria.”
Although some of the governors like Sanwo-Olu and El Rufai wore long faces when they came out of the meeting, it is not immediately know if certain governors are in support of the naira swap policy.
Tinubu refused to address the press when he came out of the meeting at about 7.15 pm.
Despite entreaties by the journalists who kept pestering him with questions, he snubbed them and stepped into one of the waiting cars in his convoy and drove off.
It was gathered that during the meeting most of the governors, who spoke, said there was the need to prevail on the President to ensure the obedience of the court order.
Our correspondent learnt that Bagudu, who spoke first after the chairman’s opening address, rallied other governors and the APC NWC to kick against the CBN policy during the meeting.
“This informed the strong position they took against the policy, the CBN governor and the AGF,” a source explained.
The source added that the governors that spoke criticised the implementation of the naira redesign, which they said was not good for the party.
It was also gathered that the Bankers Committee was considering extending the collection of old notes this week to avert protests ahead of the polls.
It was learnt that the chief executives of commercial banks took the decision during a virtual meeting on Saturday as part of moves to avert fresh protests this week.
The meeting, it was further gathered, was aimed at getting the CBN to give approval for banks to resume the collection of old notes on Monday (today).
It was learnt the top bank officials believed doing so would reduce tension and prevent further protests that could increase tension ahead of Saturday polls.
“Bank CEOs met over the weekend to find a solution to the crisis. You can see that some banks collected old notes deposits on Saturday. The idea is to get banks to resume old notes collection from customers on Monday (today). This will prevent further attacks on bank officials and bank property this week. This is the last week before the polls, so the CBN and banks want to ensure there is no tension,” a top official privy to the development told The PUNCH.
Meanwhile, in defiance of the directive by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), that the old N1,000 and N500 have ceased to be legal tender, the Kaduna State Government has directed ministries, departments and agencies to accept payments in the old naira and new notes.
El-Rufai had last Thursday slammed Buhari over his directive which he said was in disobedience to the February 8 Supreme Court Order restraining the Federal Government from ending its cash swap policy on February 10.
The governor asked residents of the state to continue using the old naira notes.
ENDS
By Petrus Obi
Youths from the Oru area of Imo State have warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against what they described as continued attacks on the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, following the minister’s latest comments on the governor’s political ambitions.
The youths, in a statement signed by Hon Chinemerem Obi, said Wike should refrain from interfering in the internal political affairs of Imo State, insisting that the political future of Governor Uzodimma and the people of the state should be determined through democratic processes.
Their reaction followed Wike’s appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, where the minister said he would not support Uzodimma for the position of Senate President after the 2027 elections.
Wike alleged that some APC governors were attempting to influence the emergence of lawmakers who would support their preferred candidate for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He specifically linked the disagreement to Uzodimma, alleging that the Imo governor was positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
According to Wike, Uzodimma’s tenure as governor would end in 2028 and he was allegedly planning to leave office, contest for the Senate and subsequently seek the Senate presidency.
Wike said he would not support the reported ambition.
The minister’s comments have drawn a fresh response from groups in Imo, with the Oru youths accusing him of turning a political disagreement into what they described as a personal campaign against the governor.
The youths said Wike’s opposition to Uzodimma’s reported Senate ambition was a political position to which he was entitled, but argued that the minister should not use his position to dictate the political choices of Imo people.
They also questioned why Wike was repeatedly focusing on Uzodimma amid the wider disagreement between him and APC governors over his proposed Rainbow Coalition.
The coalition has been promoted by Wike as a platform to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, despite Wike remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike has maintained that supporting Tinubu for president does not require politicians to support APC candidates in governorship or legislative elections.
The Oru youths said the reported ambition to become Senate President remained a political aspiration and should not be presented as an established fact.
They urged Wike to allow Imo voters and the relevant political institutions to determine who represents them at the National Assembly and who eventually emerges as Senate President.
The allegation about Uzodimma’s Senate presidency ambition has also been made publicly by APC chieftain Tajudeen Olesin, who recently claimed that the governor planned to resign before the end of his tenure, contest for the Senate and seek the Senate presidency. That claim was presented as Olesin’s assertion, rather than an announcement by Uzodimma himself.
The youths further appealed to political leaders in the Southeast to avoid statements that could deepen political divisions in the region.
They maintained that disagreements over the 2027 elections, legislative contests and political succession should be settled through democratic engagement rather than personal exchanges.
The development comes amid increasing political tension between Wike and several APC governors over the minister’s political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Earlier, a group identified as Imo Lawyers for the Defence of Democracy also called on Wike to stop what it described as personal attacks on Uzodimma, arguing that political disagreements should be addressed through dialogue and democratic institutions.
The latest controversy is expected to keep the political relationship between Wike and Uzodimma under close scrutiny as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed concerns by some All Progressives Congress governors that the proposed Rainbow Coalition could weaken the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, Wike said the coalition was primarily focused on mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, while allowing politicians to support candidates of their preferred parties in governorship and legislative elections.
Wike argued that supporting Tinubu for president would not prevent politicians from backing other candidates in elections at the state and National Assembly levels.
He cited the experience of the G5 governors during the 2023 elections, saying the group supported Tinubu’s presidential bid while their respective parties retained their candidates for other positions.
“In 2023, core leadership G5, we said we are going to support Mr President. But we never said that all our candidates in other elections will fail,” Wike said.
The FCT minister alleged that some APC governors were opposing the coalition because of their political interests, particularly efforts to influence the emergence of the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He specifically accused Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, of positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
According to Wike, governors seeking to control the emergence of senators and House of Representatives members could ultimately influence the choice of the presiding officers of the National Assembly.
He alleged that politicians who failed to secure APC tickets could contest under other platforms, win their elections and refuse to support candidates favoured by the governors for the leadership of the National Assembly.
Wike also declared that he would not support Uzodimma for Senate President.
“Life or death, I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” he said.
His comments came days after APC governors declared that they would neither participate in nor support any political alliance capable of weakening the party, affecting its candidates or undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Uzodimma, who read the governors’ communique, said their support would remain exclusively for APC candidates at all levels.
Wike, however, maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was not designed to weaken or take over the APC, insisting that its primary objective was to mobilise support for Tinubu across party lines.
He also dismissed reports that Tinubu had agreed to concede nine states to the PDP or the Rainbow Coalition as part of a political arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Let us help Nigerians. Let’s get the facts. Who are… which are those states? Tell us. That they said the President agreed with me that he has conceded nine states,” Wike said.
The minister said he intended to campaign for Tinubu based on the administration’s record, citing issues such as the President’s support for state police and what he described as the devolution of resources and powers to the states.
Wike further disclosed that Tinubu was aware of the Rainbow Coalition and understood his political activities.
“As I speak to you here, Mr President knows about my concept, of the rainbow coalition…. Mr President understands me very well,” he said.
The dispute has heightened tensions within the ruling party as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, sources within the APC said that the party’s National Working Committee was working behind the scenes to broker a truce between the opposing camps.
The sources said the process was expected to advance following the return of APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, from vacation, with plans for the NWC to meet President Tinubu and discuss ways of resolving the disagreement.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu provided about ₦50 billion to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to support the expansion and upgrade of Ibadan Airport.
Wike made the disclosure on Monday during an appearance on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout, while dismissing claims that he was the only member of the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5 governors to benefit from the Tinubu administration.
According to Wike, Tinubu also extended financial support to Makinde despite their political differences.
“The president has also extended his hand of support to the governor of Oyo State by providing funds for him to expand Oyo airport with a whopping sum of 50 billion naira,” Wike said.
The minister also cited former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who he said currently serve as Nigeria’s ambassadors to Spain and Greece respectively.
Wike argued that it was therefore incorrect to suggest that he alone among the G5 governors had benefited from the Tinubu administration, saying the President had supported other members of the group in different ways.
The G5 consisted of Wike, Makinde, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom. The group opposed the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 election and backed Tinubu.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
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