The presidency has warned the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai and that of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, among others, against dangerous allegations of planned interim government, saying it is aimed at creating panic and inciting members of the public against the federal government.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement on Friday titled, ‘Stop the Joke about Interim Government, Elections Will Hold’, noted that the talk was “a dangerous dimension by the people who are afraid that they might lose their election!’
He was reacting to comments by El-Rufai and Ganduje respectively, alleging that President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement on the retirement of the old N500 and N1,000 notes despite a pending dispute before the Supreme Court was a ploy to truncate the country’s democracy and install an interim government.
“Let us clearly, specifically and emphatically state that there is absolutely no truth to the claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is Working towards an interim government, or even worse, the truncation of democracy – a democracy that he has helped to keep alive, not only here at home, in West Africa but throughout the continent.
“The talk of an interim government and truncation of democracy is way off the mark.
Those who peddle it stand to gain nothing at all but the creation of panic and incitement of the public against the federal government,” Shehu stated.
He stated that it was due to the president’s concern about the suffering of the people, brought about by the currency redesigning and swap policy that made him open various channels of consultation with leaders and groups across the country, culminating in his Thursday broadcast.
The president had during the broadcast directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to re-circulate the old N200 notes as legal tender until April 10, effectively retiring the old N500 and N1,000.
“In line with his speech, his clear directive is that the problem of cash supply must be cleared without delay.