Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the APC’s presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu of his support ahead of the presidential election later this month.
Buhari disclosed this in a statement on Thursday evening, a few days after the Tinubu campaign questioned the government’s naira redesign policy and also called for the suspension of Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Buhari added that Tinubu has consistently demonstrated his commitment to democratic principles and to lasting development.
Unity and Progress: The President stated that Tinubu, alongside his running mate Kashim Shettima, are deeply committed to the country’s unity and progress and that he is proud to support them. He said:
- “Today we took the APC campaign message to Sokoto State. The candidate of our party, Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Kasim Shettima, are capable men who understand the problems of Nigeria, are problem-solvers, and are deeply committed to the country’s unity and progress.
- “I will continue to say this: I have known and associated with Asiwaju for more than 20 years, and I am proud to support him as the Presidential candidate of our Party.
- “In every facet of his political life—including as Senator, and as two-term Governor of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and financial hub, and home to diverse people from across Nigeria—he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to democratic principles and to lasting development.”
What you should know: Nairametrics reported last week that Tinubu criticised the management of Nigeria’s foreign exchange market which has led to the depreciation of the naira, in what appears to be an attack on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The former Lagos State Governor argued that “to change and the torture, they moved the exchange rate from doing N200 to N800. If they had repaired it, if they had arrested this, we won’t be where we are today, we would be greater. They don’t know the way, they don’t know how to think, they don’t know how to do.”
He also criticised the decision of the CBN to redesign the N200, N500 and 1,000 banknotes, alleging that they were planned to sabotage his victory at February presidential election by people in the current administration.
Tinubu’s campaign chiefs also recently called for the suspension of Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that temporarily halted any plans to ban the use of the old naira notes across the country.
