The presidential candidate of the APC Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has not stockpiled new naira notes as claimed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This was revealed on Monday by the Tinubu Media Office in a statement signed by Mahmud Jega, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs.
The statement said, “Our attention has been drawn to the irresponsible and infantile allegation by Atiku Abubakar’s Peoples Democratic Party, claiming that our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is mopping up new naira notes to buy votes.
“The allegation is simply ludicrous, spurious and a desperate attempt to divert public attention from the anti-people posturing of the PDP candidate, after he and Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi asked the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] not to extend the deadline for the use of old naira notes.
“They took the position despite the pains our compatriots are experiencing. They actively promoted the sanctity of the deadline in the calculated hope of reaping political windfall from the people’s suffering.”
The Tinubu campaign said it is not “surprised that the PDP made a volte face to conjure a completely unfounded allegation against Tinubu. Having realized that Atiku’s selfish, uncaring position has generated popular anger and resentment against him, it came up with this absurd claim that our candidate is mopping up new currency notes.”
“We want to assure Nigerians that the claim is utterly false,” the statement said.
The ruling party’s campaign said, “Our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being always the voice of the voiceless and champion of the underprivileged, at numerous rallies and campaign stops, identified with our people and boldly called on CBN to extend the deadline and end the public suffering.”
The statement said, “Also spurious, devilish and unconscionable is the claim by two UK-based Nigerians, one Bulama Bukarti and one Jaafar Jaafar, that the currency change was made because Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu stockpiled billions of naira in every state with the intention of vote buying.”
The Tinubu campaign said there is no iota of truth in this claim which was concocted for mischievous and devilish purposes by these PDP agents.
“The duo claimed they “heard” the “information” from “knowledgeable sources.” These “sources” clearly exist only in the partisan imagination of Bulama Bukarti and Jaafar Jaafar.”
The statement said,” They made this serious allegation recklessly without a shred of evidence, believing that by living in the UK, they are beyond the reach of Nigerian laws of defamation.”
The Tinubu campaign urges all Nigerians to disregard the allegations being peddled by the “PDP and its surrogates, Bukarti and Jaafar and continue to exercise patience and to exhibit love, support and determination until the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima ticket is delivered at the polls with a landslide.”
