By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election on February 15, 2023, Mr Bola Tinubu, has claimed that some powers that be in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari were working to ensure he does not win the exercise, noting that they were behind the lingering fuel scarcity and the redesigning of the higher denominations of the Naira.
Last month, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced new N200, N500, and N1,000 notes into circulation. Later, the bank limited the amount of cash that can be withdrawn by customers across the channels.
This action was greeted with mixed reactions and the Department of State Services (DSS) later made attempts to arrest the Governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, who wanted to pick the sole presidential ticket of the APC until he was stopped by the court.
For almost the better of 2022, Nigerians had to queue at petrol stations for the product because of a disruption in supply. Earlier in the year, the scarcity was caused by the circulation of adulterated fuel and later in the year, a shortage of supply was blamed on flooding across the country.
At the moment, Nigerians have not been able to buy petrol with ease and in some places, the pump price is above the government-regulated price of N169 per litre.
Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Wednesday during his campaign, Mr Tinubu accused those against his emergence as the presidential candidate of causing the fuel scarcity.
“We will use our PVCs to take over government from them, if they like let them create fuel crisis, even if they said there is no fuel, we will trek to vote. They are full of mischief, they could say there is no fuel. They have been scheming to create fuel crisis, but forget about it. Relax, I Asiwaju have told you that the issue of fuel supply will be permanently addressed.
“Whoever wants to eat the honey embedded in a mountain won’t worry about the axe. Is that not so? And if you want to eat palm kernel, you would bring stone and use it to break it, then the kernel will come out. It’s not easy to…
“Let them increase the price of fuel, let them continue to hoard fuel, only them know where they have hoarded fuel, they hoarded money, they hoarded naira; we will go and vote and we will win. Even if they changed the ink on Naira notes. Whatever their plans, it will come to nought. We are going to win. Those in the PDP will lose.
“I am homeboy, I have come here, you will not be put to shame, we will take over the government from them, the traitors who wanted to contest with us. They had no experience.
“The great Nigerian youths, the great Nigerian students, the confident Nigerian youths. This is a revolution. This election is a revolution. They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel price will increase and reach N200 per litre. Go and relax. They don’t want this election to hold, they want to scuttle it. Do you agree?
“On this one, I’m guaranteeing you one thing: there will be student loan. Nobody will drop out of the University because of school fees. I guarantee you that. Nobody will have to repeat for eight years, and not graduate.
“Haba! We are too smart, we are brilliant, we are courageous, we are sharp, we will make four years course four years course. Do you agree? Will you vote whether there is fuel or not? Call your sister, we are bringing revolution.
“Let me say what’s on my mind. The other day, I told you. This one too, they think they can cause crisis by sabotaging fuel supply. They are sabotaging fuel supply. Whether there is fuel or not, whether there is
Okada (commercial motorcycle) or not, whether there is tricycle or not, we will go and vote and we shall win.
“This is a superior revolution and when I tell you, you know what I mean. You know me, we are going there to win,” the former Governor of Lagos State said at the rally held at the MKO Abiola International Stadium.
Adedapo Adesanya