The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, has said the All Progressives Congress, APC was not informed about the redesigning of the Nigerian currency.
The federal lawmaker said the policy has caused clash of opinions and interest within the ruling party, and despite this, the chances of the party to win the forthcoming general elections were still bright.
“Yes, we are not happy with the policy, because we are not even contacted, it was between President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, but, I’m assuring you that things will be alright and in the end, APC will win [the] Presidency, states, even Senate and other seats,” he boasted.
The senator made this revelation while reacting to the allegation of vote buying levelled against him by the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP’s Kano South candidate, AbduRahaman Kawu Sumaila.
“You know there is a distinction between the government and the party. Our party, APC, will not allow this kind of policy to be slammed on citizens,” he said.
He added: “We are attacking the system, because if there is a problem with the head you have to correct it; this decision on naira redesign was taken between President Buhari and the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele; we are not saying he is alone in this but at least we should have been contacted for advise.”
Gaya further revealed that: “Who says distribution of empowerments, now or five years back is vote buying? Let me educates Kawu Sumaila a bit. Vote buying is done on the day of elections, by whichever means, no matter how small the amount [of money].”
He said: “Now, what we are doing is simply sympathizing with the masses who are seriously hit by the naira redesign programme. Go to villages, [and see people who] cannot even afford just N200.”
While reacting to the allegation that he’s not made impact on his constituents, he said: “I have a whole book of 186 pages that I published on every project which I have executed, so Kawu Sumaila should prepare for serious defeats just like the other times I seriously defeated him.”