From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Joint Front of Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria JFCSON has described as suspicious the support of the People Democratic Party (PDP) of the cashless policy initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The group’s National President, Barnabas Bala Yock, in a statement questioned the rationale for the open support of the unpopular policy by the leadership of the PDP, including its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Yock said: “We find it quite suspicious that at a time when even governors of states controlled by the All Progressives Congress are joining the public outcry against the pains and confusion caused by the CBN’s cashless policy, PDP, supposedly the main opposition party, is totally and openly in support of the policy.
“We recall that the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar was the first to declare support for the policy and other PDP big names including state governors have now joined him.
“The PDP support for the anti-people policy that is wreaking families and communities across the country and potentially leading to greater unrest, was bursted with the application by the Governors of Bayelsa and Edo, all PDP states, to be joined as defendants against the suit filed by mainly APC governors challenging it at the Supreme Court.
“This, we understand, was the main reason hearing in the case was adjourned to allow time to comply with proper procedure.
“It becomes even more suspicious that most of the PDP governments that are backing the policy are currently battling the consequences of the anger caused by the same policy.
“It therefore appears that the PDP is in some way connected to the alleged sinister device to use the already escalating cash crisis to create an environment that would hinder the conduct of elections in the country.
“It is becoming clearer that CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele who is a product of the PDP inherited by the current APC government is in a grand plot with his colleagues in the PDP and some privileged forces in the administration to scuttle the elections and smooth handover for their personal dubious interests.
“The PDP, other collaborators in this diabolical scheme should note that Nigeria has come of age and Nigerians will never tolerate the imposition of any undemocratic arrangement at the expiration of the tenure of the current administration.
“While we restate our commitment to challenge, resist and reject any such move under whatever pretext, we alert the nation and the global community as to where blame would ultimately lie in the event of a rapture in the system. “Finally, we call on voters to be vigilant as to the way the country is headed and use their permanent voter cards to call to account all elements of treachery seeking elections to whatever office.”