Victor EzejaThe All Progressives Congress (APC) organising secretary, Lagos State chapter, Ayodele Adewale, says the bullion vans sighted in Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s compound during the 2019 general elections had missed its way and arrived at the residence.
The bullion van saga was resurrected after Tinubu’s comment at Ogun State during the APC presidential campaign rally where he accused the federal government of using the naira redesign policy and the raging fuel scarcity to sabotage his chances in the upcoming elections.
Tinubu said the fuel crisis and the scarcity of the newly redesigned naira notes were artificially created to discourage people from voting for the ruling party, but expressed optimism that despite the disruptions, he would win.
The Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has insisted that the 31st January deadline for removing the old naira banknotes from circulation remains sacrosanct, even with the scarcity of the new notes both in banks and in possession of Nigerians.
Both Emefiele and President Muhammadu Buhari had indicated that the naira reissue and cash withdrawal limit would checkmate illicit cash transactions such as vote-buying during elections.
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Reacting to Tinubu’s outburst at the Abeokuta campaign ground, Nigerians on various social media platforms accused the APC presidential candidate of crying foul of the currency policy because he thinks it will not favour him. The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, while responding, alleged that Tinubu was frustrated because of his inability to stop the cashless policy.
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Atiku, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said: “Even though the CBN policy affects all 18 political parties, Tinubu is the only one frustrated because his plan to deploy bullion vans and bribe poor voters and security agents on the day of election has failed woefully.
“Recall that on the eve of the 2019 presidential election, two cash-laden bullion vans were pictured entering Tinubu’s 26 Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi residence. Several petitions were written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but nothing was done.”
But reacting to the bullion van saga, Adewale while appearing on Arise News Morning Show on Thursday, claimed that he was at Tinubu’s house on that day and the van in question had no money inside.
“On the issue of the bullion van, I think that matter had been laid to rest. There was no money in the bullion van. That bullion missed its way there. It missed the address to have come there and it was not invited by Asiwaju or anybody.”
An Arise News Co-anchor of the programme, Rufai Oseni, referred the APC Chieftain to a 2019 media report where Tinubu while responding to bullion van issue, was quoted as saying that he has been in the private sector all his life, never stole from anybody and has right to spend his money anyhow he likes.
Adewale, however, said Tinubu was merely joking and could not be held to that statement.
Adewale, who is also the director of Outdoors Promotion and Management for APC campaigns across the 374 Ward units in Lagos State and Secretary, APC Presidential Campaign Council on Special Duties, denied the allegations that the ruling APC in the state is barring other political parties from putting up their campaign materials such as billboards and posters in parts of the state.
Some opposition political parties like the PDP and Labour Party had alleged that their supporters and members were being attacked by hoodlums sympathetic to the APC.
Adewale, however, said the party has no link with any group attacking other political parties and preventing them from campaigning.
He said that every political party going for outdoor campaign should make adequate plan for security in case of any eventuality.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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