Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), yesterday threw his weight behind the claim by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that there are attempts to sabotage his presidential bid through naira redesign and fuel scarcity.
Tinubu during his rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Wednesday said the lingering petrol scarcity and complaints about currency redesign were plots by unpatriotic elements and saboteurs to embarrass the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and scuttle the proposed elections.
However, Sagay said he was surprised that President Muhammadu Buhari had not called Godwin Emefiele, Central Bank Governor (CBN) to order on his insistence that there was no going back on the January 31 deadline for the usage of the old naira notes.
“I suspect that because when people in responsible positions begin to create hardship and annoyance and anger in the population which will be directed against the government, just before an election, the effect of that is that the government is going to be blamed by the voters and they may decide out of anger to vote for another party.
“It will drive away votes from the ruling party which they will blame for the conditions and circumstances being created by these very dangerous people”.
“What Emefiele is trying to do in saying you cannot use the existing currency after the 31st of January in a situation where the new currency is not available to be used is a plot to create disaffection for the government and indirectly create an unfavourable image for that government before the populace in a few weeks to an election. There is no question about that.”
“What is surprising is that no one stopping him. The president has not stopped him and he is saying there is no going back in an action that is a sabotage of the goodwill of that government. It is just incredible”.
“On fuel scarcity, I can’t understand it. It has never happened before. This is going to be three months now and the NNPC is saying there is no shortage, they have enough supply for another three months. Yet, we cannot find petrol anywhere. Somebody is playing a game. I suspect after the election we are going to have petrol”.
“I agree with what Tinubu is saying. Something underhand is going on in this country which is intended to affect the outcome of the elections.”
