The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of alleged plot to swap N22.5 billion old banknotes to the new currency to induce voters in the 2023 general election.

The PDP said it has uncovered plans by some APC leaders working for the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to swap the old naira notes in Kano State “in a desperate move to actualise APC vote-buying plans in the 2023 general election”.

The main opposition party made the allegations via a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.

It stated: Information available to our Party revealed that this criminal act by the APC which is responsible for the biting cash scarcity is being coordinated in the North West region of our country by two APC State Governors who ironically have been very vocal in lamentation over the prevailing cash crunch.

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“The PDP has been made aware that the N22.5 billion in old N1000 notes was allegedly kept in a Kano State Government facility before being moved to a particular old generation and a certain new generation bank where the regional heads were contacted by the APC Presidential Campaign to swap the old notes with new ones.

“Further information revealed that the cash is being warehoused by the Tinubu Campaign for vote buying in Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Sokoto States. A particular APC State governor is reported to have taken delivery of N500 million new Naira notes to actualize the vote-buying plot.

“Also, there are intelligence that arrangement has been concluded by APC leaders to move a substantial part of the old naira notes from Kano to Lagos State between today and tomorrow for the purposes of swapping them with new ones.”

The PDP, however, urged security agencies and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to investigate “this nefarious activity by APC leaders which is bringing untold hardship to Nigerians.”

“Our Party demands immediate action to stop APC in this criminal act as well as to recover the money and make the new Naira notes available to the public.

“The PDP calls on all Nigerians to firmly resist the APC in this heinous attempt to buy their conscience and subject them to another harrowing tenure of killings, violence, kidnapping and economic hardship that have become the hallmark of the APC administration in the last seven and half years.

“The Party also urges Nigerians to remain steadfast in their support for the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who has demonstrated the integrity, honesty, capacity, experience and readiness to get the system to work for the good of all immediately he assumes office, come May 29, 2023,” the party added.

The Star