The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, has identified those behind the violence and protests against the Naira redesign policy of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Recall that different cities across the nation, especially in the South, have witnessed violent unrest due to the scarcity of the new naira notes and the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to allow the new old N500 and N1000 notes to circulate together with the old ones.
In Ogun, Lagos, Oyo, Benin and other states, deaths and serial attacks on bank facilities have been recorded during the violent protests.
Speaking in Abeokuta at a program organised by the Lado Muslims Affairs’ Forum on Sunday, Adebutu declared that “the riots were not organic.”
He asserted that the ongoing riots across the country were masterminded by politicians who have stashed looted funds in their private residences and got stuck following expiration of the deadline given by the CBN) for the currency swap.
He said, “Don’t join any protest. Those behind the protests are those that have billions of naira stored at home. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said more than one trillion naira of the old notes are still in circulation. Who are those in possession of those one trillion naira? Is it in the hands of farmers or market women?
“Who are the custodians of the one trillion that has not returned to the banking system? They are the people who have stolen money from the local government system, from the State and from the Federal Government.
“Those are the people behind these riots. These riots are not organic. When they are stuck and unable to take their stolen cash to the banks, they instigate riots here and there. Those who have hoarded money but could not take it to the bank are behind the riot.”
The PDP gubernatorial candidate charged parents to warn their parents from being used for a protest they knew nothing about.
He accused those who are now in the All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring a massive protest against the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan when he wanted to remove fuel subsidy in 2012.
“Caution your children, they should not be part of protest they know nothing about,” Adebutu said, urging Ogun people to vote for the PDP on Saturday.