Political parties on Thursday admitted that they had difficulties sourcing cash that would be used to pay their polling agents during Saturday’s elections.
Officials of parties including the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party and the New Nigerian Peoples Party, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, attributed the problem to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cashless policy.
They added that some of their agents would not be paid as they would work as volunteers.
Speaking with one of our correspondents, the Director of Strategic Communications for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Idris Mohammed, disclosed that no political party could boast of having bulk cash to pay its supporters for mobilisation and other logistics.
He said, “It is a general problem as you know. We are not aware of anybody getting bulk money from our party. The FG has instituted a cashless policy and there is nothing we can do than to go with the policy. We have mentioned it here and the presidential candidate has also said over again that it is going to be a tough situation. This is not just for the election but for ordinary Nigerians. It is going to be hard for anybody to get cash.”
In a separate interview, the Chief Spokesman for the NNPP Presidential Campaign Council, Ladipo Johnson, also admitted that the paucity of cash was a problem facing, not just political parties, but the entire masses.
While stating that the cashless policy had long-term benefits, Johnson observed that politicians seem the worst hit by the naira scarcity.
He said, “We are not excluded from anything going on in this country. I know the country is difficult at the moment and that the masses are suffering as a result of the cash squeeze policy. We understand the long-term benefit of it. But it is very painful in the short term.
On their part, the PDP and the All Progressives Grand Alliance expressed concern over their inability to carry out routine but necessary activities because of the cash scarcity.
Speaking with our correspondent on the issue, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said only the resolve of its members to chase out the APC, was propelling the PDP to march on despite the cash crisis.
He said: “The challenge of the cash crunch is all over the place and it is part of the legacy of the APC. No matter how good their policies appear, implementation is always a problem. This election is about our lives, and our survival and no sacrifice will be too if we are to be rescued from this situation. As a party, we sympathize with Nigerians.
“We are hurt particularly in an election period but our appeal to Nigerians is that irrespective of the difficulty that the APC has brought upon this country including the sabotaging within the party of the cash policy, they should keep the faith.”
On his part, Victor Oye, National Chairman of APGA told The PUNCH that the cash crisis had made it difficult for his party to take care of “some basic things.”
The state chapters of major political parties in Kwara State are also facing hard times over sourcing naira notes to mobilise their agents that would s represent them at the various polling units during Saturday’s Presidential election.
The Chairman of the LP in the state, Mr Kehinde Rotimi, in an interview with The PUNCH, said that the problem of getting cash to mobilise the party agents was a general problem to all the political parties. He added that officials of the party were meeting to find a solution to the challenge.
The duo of Sunday Fagbemi and Babatunde Mohammed, chairmen of APC and the PDP respectively in the state, said that the executives of their parties would meet on how to source for naira notes to mobilize agents for their respective political parties for Saturday’s elections.
Said Mohammed, “We are going to meet on how to get money for transportation and feeding of all agents that will represent our party at the polling stations in the state. We need the cash which is not readily available for our agents to move and feed at the various polling units that they are posted to. We have not got the cash but we will meet to resolve it.”
The APC chairman, Sunday Fagbemi said, “The officials of our party have been meeting. We have an agent in each of the polling stations to represent our party. You will be informed of our solution to the problem but I know that the APC is going to be represented at every polling unit in the state.
Speaking separately, the Chairman of APC, Austin Agada and the Publicity Secretary of PDP in Benue State, Bemgba Iortyom declared that they relied on the loyalty of their agents to make some sacrifices during the election.
The APC chairman however said that the welfare of their polling agents was important, hence, their plans to make transfers to the agents.
In Ekiti State, political parties said that their agents for the elections were committed members ready for the assignment whether money was made available or not.
The LP State Chairman, Odunayo Okunade, who said his party had agents in all polling units in the state were ready for the election, said, “All the LP followers are Obidients. What is going on in Nigeria is beyond money. If it is on money that we want to vote for, there will not be a better Nigeria.’’
Similarly, the APC Deputy State Chairman, Sola Elesin, who said his party was not interested in using money for elections, said, “We believe that the right process should be followed. Our party agents are members of the party, they are supposed to work for the victory of our candidate and we consider it as a sacrifice to make Nigeria great.’’
Also, the Secretary of the APC in the state, Bassey Mensa, said, “As a party, we don’t pay our agents. It is a call to duty. You don’t expect us to pay you as an agent.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Thursday said it had not breached the orders of the Supreme Court which restrained it from enforcing the February 10 deadline for the return of all old N200, N500 and N1000 notes.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, made this claim at the 67th session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Malami’s claim comes exactly one week after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in a televised broadcast, announced that only old N200 notes would remain legal tender, and that, until April 10.
But speaking at the briefing, AGF said the President had not breached the Supreme Court order.
“So it is about a limited number of people that have succeeded in having at their disposal resources that they are protecting and then, forcing a compromise on a policy that is beneficial to 200 million Nigerians.
“Our interest is not a fraction but a whole and that whole is the entire population of Nigeria. And not some people who feel a policy should not stand simply because it does not suit their desires.’’
Open rebellion
He also said security agencies would ultimately determine the fate of top government officials who issued contrary directives countering that of the President on the new naira policy.
Malami’s remarks come barely 24 hours after the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, said the Force was investigating some state governors for treasonable statements made to undermine Buhari’s directive on the new naira policy.
However, Baba said the Police could not prosecute those involved due to the immunity cover granted by their offices. Consequently, they can only be “cautioned.”
On February 16, 2023, Buhari, in a televised broadcast, announced that only old N200 notes will remain legal tender, and that, until April 10.
He said all N500 and N1000 notes not remitted to money deposit banks and the central bank by February 17, 2023, would lose their legitimacy.
Therefore, he directed the central bank to reintroduce the old N200 notes into the economy to ease cash supply.
Some governors faulted the President’s directive and resident of their states to continue spending the old notes
On Thursday’s session, Malami was asked what would happen to the governors.
Malami who avoided mentioning the governors by name said their utterances were treasonable and may attract investigation.
According to him, the relevant security agencies would, nevertheless, determine the need for more action.
He stated, “On the issue relating to the open rebellion in view of the fact that the sizable portion of such considerations constitute the subject matter of litigation before the Supreme Court.
“Above all, as you rightly know, you equally raised the issue of treason or certain order associated with it. These issues are usually issues of forces.
“So, you cannot rule out the possibility of investigation but the responsibility of investigation and doing the needful arising from the weight and assessment of the implications of the statements is the responsibility of the security agencies and I believe they are doing the needful to that effect; to determine whether there is need for further action.
“Actions associated with investigations as to what other measures need to be taken in case it is their conclusion that there is the need for actions to be taken related to the utterances made. So, that is the best I can say on that rebellion,” Malami explained.
