No going back on redesign of naira notes, Buhari declares

President Muhammadu Buhari, has again said there is no going back on the decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s decision to redesign N200 N500 and N1000 notes.

The president added that politicians won’t be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate voters in the 2023 general elections.

The president stated this in London on Wednesday in an interview in the United Kingdom after meeting with His Royal Majesty, King Charles III in Buckingham Palace.

President Buhari also said enough time has been given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for Nigerians to deposit the present naira notes at banks in exchange for the newly redesigned ones which will be issued by December 15, 2022.

“On this change of currency, there will be a lot of money but time has been given from October to December, three months is enough for whatever money you have, to get it changed through the legal system.

“So, I don’t know why people are complaining about it,” the President said.

While reiterating his full support for the naira redesign, the president said the policy announced by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele on October 26, 2022 has come to stay.

“No going back,” Buhari said of the decision to redesign the three naira notes.

“My aim is to make sure that Nigerians believe that we respect them as an administration.

“So, Nigerians should vote for whoever they like from whichever political party. Nobody will be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate people in any constituency. That is what I want to go down in Nigerian history for as a leader.”

President Buhari had last given his full support to the policy while reacting to questions few days after the minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed told lawmakers that she was not carried along before the policy was announced.