The Ondo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) has appealed to residents of the state protesting against the scarcity of new naira notes and petrol to stop further protest.
Mr Steve Otaloro, the Director, Media and Publicity of APC in the state, in a statement on Wednesday in Akure said as a responsible political party, it would be unwise not to lend its voice to the ongoing protest in the state.
Otaloro explained that the protest was as a result of the hardship caused by the current scarcity of petrol and the new naira notes.
“Our people in the state are groaning about their current living condition, a situation that threatens us as the ruling party in the state.
“As a political party, we are having the back of the people and in complete sympathy with them in their agitation that this currency scarcity and the time limit attached to it is insufficient and must the addressed by the CBN immediately,” he said.
The party’s director on media and publicity added that the party’s chairman in the state, Ade Adetimehin had vehemently criticised the policy.
“The APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has also spoken openly against unnecessarily short time allotted to naira notes swap and the fuel scarcity issues as a consequential danger to Nigerians’ wellbeing meant to deprive him of the presidency but seriously hurting the people.
“We are totally in alliance with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that these two issues are targeted to deprive our party’s candidate at the poll as latest revelations by the Gov. El Rufai of Kaduna State had since revealed the hand of the fifth columnist in it,” he stated.
Otaloro appealed to the protesters to remain calm and not to engage in further protest that would violate other citizens’ rights to move freely in pursuit of their daily needs.
He asked the residents to take solace in the Supreme Court’s ruling that ordered the suspension of the Feb. 10 deadline for the swapping to new naira notes by Central Bank of Nigeria pending the determination of the case before it.
“Our party, APC Ondo State chapter, is seeking for your understanding on these issues, especially, to keep a renewed hope for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the man that will turn things around for you if elected Nigeria next president,” he said.
