Naira Scarcity: Buhari has now made all of us poor – Kwankwaso

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, says the redesign of the naira notes has made all contestants for political positions poor.

Mr Kwankwaso added that now that he and his opponents are in the same financial standing, it will be easy for him to win the election.

Mr Kwankwaso, who was speaking on Wednesday during a programme on Dandal Kura Radio in Maiduguri, Borno State, said people were ridiculing him for not being rich to be contesting to be president.

He said the redesign policy of the federal government has made everybody, including his rivals in the presidential contest, poor.

“We’ve been hearing people ridiculing me saying Rabiu Kwankwaso doesn’t have money (for the campaign) today the president has made all of us poor in the contest. So we’re all poor and now the same,” Mr Kwankwaso said in Hausa.

Speaking on his chances, Mr Kwankwaso said he proved his capacity when he served as a two-term governor, minister and senator.

He said Nigerians would not be voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because the parties have nothing new to offer.

Mr Kwankwaso, who was a minister of defence, also ridiculed Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate, saying he once won a presidential contest against the former Vice President.

He said he would easily beat Atiku because he did that in the 2014 APC presidential primary election when they all lost to President Muhammadu Buhari.

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“In 2015(sic), I contested for the presidential ticket (APC), Muhammadu Buhari defeated me but I defeated Atiku Abubakar,” he said.

Not the first time

Mr Kwankwaso on 27 January this year said he didn’t believe the naira redesign was meant to disrupt the ambition of the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu, as top APC members are claiming. He told Arise News during an interview that Mr Tinubu was merely looking for an excuse for his imminent loss during the poll.

“I’m not sure if that’s correct. I’m not sure if that’s not a defence. We were very suspicious of that statement (Mr Tinubu saying the naira redesign aimed at sabotaging him) because all that we know we’ve seen the president (Mr Buhari) all other ministers and everybody going around to campaign for him (Mr Tinubu) or for their party. Now, for him to come and make this statement it looks to me like ridiculous,” he said.

Mr Kwankwaso, however, said the new naira policy is bad for the country.

“All I know is (the naira redesign policy) is not good for the country. Nigerians deserve to live in peace with love from their leaders. But inflicting any difficulty on Nigerians, I believe is not good for even the leaders themselves