APC Campaign Council Accuses Peter Obi Of Conniving With Banks To Inflict Pain Over New Naira Notes

By Damilare Adeleye

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of conniving with bank officials to inflict hardship on Nigerians over the scarcity of new naira notes.

The APC-PCC reaction was coming against the backdrop of the remark made by Peer Obi where he backed the redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Labour Party candidate had on Sunday stated that the currency redesign would have long-term economic and social benefits to the country.

“The currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is an exercise that comes with some inconvenience and pain, but it has significant long-term economic and social benefits. Even though there are improvements that can be made,” Obi tweeted.

Reacting in a statement, the spokesperson for the APC PCC in Osun State, Remi Omowaiye, accused the CBN of attempting to “inflict pains on Nigerians.”

He stated that Peter Obi’s comment shows that his business interest supersedes the interest of Nigerians, going by his affiliation with the Nigerian banking industry.

Omowaiye said: “I am not surprised that Peter Obi is doing this. He has been a chairman of a bank before, and most of the bankers are benefitting from this hardship, so I understand where he is coming from. Peter Obi has serious interest in Fidelity Bank. He went to keep Anambra money in the fidelity bank, which he ought to have been used to develop the state.

“Peter Obi has once again displayed to us and demonstrated to us that his business interest supersedes the interest of Nigerians because I don’t expect him to come out and start defending this policy. I would have expected him to sympathize with Nigerians and condemn this policy, this is the same way he has failed to condemn IPOB over the killing of innocent people.”

While asking the CBN to develop effective strategies that would help Nigerians rather than make them suffer, the APC spokesperson said Obi wants to gain political profits from the agony of Nigerians.

He added, “It is very important that this is a very ill-time policy. We are not saying they should not change currency, but there should be enough strategy on how to do this. You collected old money from people, you forced us to bring old money to the bank, now it is the old money that you are returning back to people. It is obvious that Obi wants to gain political profits from the agony of Nigerians.

“How did you explain it, people have money in the bank, but they can’t access their money. There is unrest in some towns in Nigeria. Two people have been killed in Ibadan, there was also demonstration in Warri, people are going through hard times because of this policy.”