Major and minor parties say naira shortage shouldn’t stop election
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Major and minor political parties all want the Independent National Election (INEC) to conduct the election this year as scheduled despite cash alarm raised by Federal Capital Territory Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Yahaya Bello.
Bello alerted in Abuja last Wednesday naira scarcity may hinder the mobilisation of workers and logistics when he spoke at the North Central Stakeholders Roundtable meeting on the 2023 election organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocate.
His statement generated furious debate among political parties and other stakeholders whose consensus of views is that the make or break ballot must hold in spite of all odds.
The political parties include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Their views, collated by The PUNCH, are reported below:
Ibrahim Abdullahi (PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary)
“This [cash shortage] has the tendency to affect planning and logistics, but postponement would not be logical for INEC because it is a critical government institution that has inexhaustible avenues for mobilising cash resources for an election.”
Victor Oye (APGA National Chairman)
“We don’t foresee that [election postponement] happening. The elections will hold as scheduled. We are very confident of this.
“INEC is a government statutory Commission. So, they can take care of themselves.”
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Yunusa Tanko (LP Campaign Council Spokesman)
“I don’t think it should be a problem. It should be done in such a way that people can access [cash] transfer. That, for me, is the most important thing. If it is a transfer you are doing, let it be traceable.
“I don’t think the new naira policy should stop the election; rather, it should make the election more credible. Of course, we know liquid cash cannot be accounted for.”
Ladipo Johnson (NNPP Chief Spokesman)
“If the INEC feels that things cannot be done with cash, God knows what would happen. I think this calls for restraint and understanding for those who are running things to seek alternatives to cash for their staff or ad hoc workers, if possible.
“It is something they should look at on a day-to-day basis. At the moment, I don’t think the poll should be shifted. But we hope things don’t degenerate to that level.”
Bala Ibrahim (APC Media Director)
“The party has done everything possible and will do everything possible to meet INEC’s election requirements.
“The party would have loved a situation where everyone would be free and have access to their money.
“But be that as it may, we would not subscribe to an extension with a few days to the general elections. For me, there is no reason to call for an extension.”
Shehu Gabam (SDP National Chairman)
“It is the executive arm that has abdicated its own role to complement the role of INEC. INEC had a conversation with the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, about cash because there are areas that are unbankable.
“INEC must be given cash to operate. If you deny it access to cash, even after crediting its account, how will it get access to the account and operate in areas that need cash for the election to be conducted?”
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