Extension of validity of N200 notes portrays Buhari as weak president -Peter Obi's running mate, Datti

 

Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the naira redesign.

 

On Thursday, Buhari in a televised nationwide address announced the extension of the validity of old N200 notes till April 10.

 

The extension followed concerns and protests over the deadline for the old naira notes, which has been followed by scarcity of cash.

 

Datti, who spoke on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, said it seems the president is becoming a “weakling”.

He argued that for Buhari to have shifted ground twice on the policy, showed that he was not firm.

 

“It is mixed feelings because when you see a president budge once, however small, those mighty (people) that prevailed on him to budge will see a gleam of hope to press further,” he said.

 

“Maybe this president is becoming a weakling, as they would say a lame duck president, and if you cede one inch, you are likely to cede another inch.

 

 “So, it is a lot of concern for us for the president to change position literally nine days to the election.

 

“However, we have recognised the fact. Currency is a sovereign matter and no state governor, especially those who don’t respect court judgment, has any right to interfere with the federal government in issues about currency.

 

“It has been done and it stays and it was poorly implemented and everything about government is poorly done, including our economy, security, as well as the level of corruption, and we have come to live with it.

 

“We pray that the election would go well so that as his majesty said, if election is well done, it can open the space for good governance.”

 

Meanwhile, the recent cash crunch has led to an outbreak of protests across states in Nigeria.