Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the National Assembly to investigate allegations of plot by the All Progressives Congress ( APC) to swap N22.5billion old Naira notes for new ones ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council has not denied the allegation and that the only way the parliament can show it was concerned about hardship occasioned by scarcity of the new notes was to probe the large scale clandestine currency swap by the APC in Lagos and Kano states for vote-buying.
“Our party has been made aware of a deceptive design by the APC leadership in both chambers of the National Assembly to reconvene plenary under the guise of being concerned about the hardship faced by Nigerians due to the scarcity of new Naira notes induced and aggravated by the exposed sinister diversion of new Naira notes by the Tinubu Campaign.
“If indeed the APC leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly are concerned about the biting cash scarcity, we challenge them to publicly condemn the reported plot by APC leaders and its presidential campaign, to clandestinely swap a whopping N22.5 billion in old N1,000 notes for new ones in Kano and Lagos States for the purpose of vote buying.
“We also challenge the APC leadership of the National Assembly to commence an investigation into the N22.5 billion fraudulent cash swap report, if truly it is concerned about the suffering and anguish Nigerians are facing in accessing the new Naira notes.
“It is instructive to note that the Tinubu Campaign has not denied the reported N22.5 billion cash swap for vote-buying. Instead, it has resorted to hauling of insults and lame diversionary claims,” the party stated.