Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Kenneth Udeze, insisted that CBN must further shift the deadline, else, the 14 political parties would not participate in the elections.
With just 19 days to the 2023 general elections and four days to the Naira swap deadline as fixed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) no fewer than 14 out of the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria have reportedly vowed to boycott the general elections if the apex bank fails to extend the deadline.
Recall that after the earlier deadline of January 31, 2023, by the CBN for the old version of the redesigned N200, N500 and N1000 notes to cease from being legal tender, the apex bank had shifted the deadline to February 10, 2023, while the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has insisted that there will be no further extension of deadline.
But speaking at a press conference organised by the forum of chairmen of Nigerian Political Parties and the forum of candidates for the general elections on Monday, the National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Kenneth Udeze, insisted that CBN must further shift the deadline, else, the 14 political parties would not participate in the elections.
Udeze said, “We hereby announce our resolution that at least 14 of the 18 political parties in Nigeria will not be interested in the 2023 general elections and indeed we shall withdraw all our participation from the electoral process if these currency policies are not suspended or cancelled or if the deadline is not further shifted.”
Meanwhile, recall that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, had reportedly asked the CBN not to extend the deadline for the swap of the old notes.
Atiku’s position on the Naira swap deadline generated backlashes from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which described the former Vice President as an “enemy” of Nigeria.
However, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday asked Nigerians to give him seven days to resolve the crisis caused by the scarcity of the new naira notes, adding that he has seen reports about cash shortages and the effect on local businesses and ordinary Nigerians.
President Buhari as of Friday said the remaining seven days of the 10-day extension will be used to crack down on the encumbrances mitigating the successful implementation of the currency redesign policy.
Buhari, whose statement came after the APC governors met with him and requested that the old and new notes should be allowed to co-exist, said, “I will revert to the CBN and the Minting Company. There will be a decision one way or the other in the remaining seven days of the 10-day extension.”