A video that surfaced on social media recently has shown a support group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Tinubu Mobilisation Squad swapping old naira notes for new ones with members of the public.
The initiative has sparked controversy, as the group is not one of the super agents approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to carry out such a task.
The group, however, claimed that the initiative aimed to provide relief to citizens who have found it difficult to access new naira notes due to their scarcity. The Tinubu Mobilisation Squad attributed the initiative to the “unreserved effort” of Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is running for the presidency of Nigeria.
Critics, however, have raised questions about the source of the new notes, which have been in short supply recently, with some blaming politicians for hoarding them. The supporters of the APC have been accused of trying to buy votes with the new notes, a charge they have denied.
One observer called for the security agencies to arrest members of the group for interrogation on where they got the new notes. He accused them of hoarding cash to buy votes and using citizens’ suffering to win their sympathy.
The controversy comes amid accusations by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that APC leaders, including its presidential candidate, have been hoarding new naira notes to buy votes on election day.
The situation has raised concerns about the integrity of the upcoming presidential election, which has been described as a crucial test for the country’s democracy.