At a rally for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River state on Tuesday, APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu criticized the country’s foreign currency (FX) rate management system.
The rally was held at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar, the capital of Cross River.
Taking shots at Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, Tinubu claimed that Abubakar could not be relied upon to make the best judgments for Nigeria.
“Don’t mind them (PDP). The lies of their 16 years, they cannot even provide electricity to roast boli. They cannot even provide electricity to roast corn. They say privatisation. Privatisation for Atiku’s pocket. We say that’s the end of that,” he said.
The ex-governor of Lagos state also criticized the naira’s quick decline and the government’s new currency redesign scheme.
He said that the parallel market exchange rate for the naira to the dollar has fallen from around N200 to over N800 since the current administration assumed office in 2015.
Both of the things that Tinubu mentioned during the campaign rally happened during President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in office.
“Don’t let them lie to you about change of currency. Their families — they have never understood what inflation is about,” the APC presidential candidate said.
“They never understand (sic) what money laundering is all about. They never understand (sic) keeping our currency in the dark corner of their room.
“To change and the torture moved the exchange rate from 200 to 800. If they had repaired it, if they had arrested this, we won’t be where we are today. We will be greater. They don’t know the way, they don’t know how to think, they don’t know how to do.
“I say, follow me. Are you going to follow me? Are you going to vote for me?”
Tinuu also promised his supporters that if he is elected in the 2023 elections, economic prosperity would return to the state.
He added that he would create jobs for the unemployed youths and develop tourism in the state.
“I promise you, prosperity has come. Jobs have come. We will create jobs here. We will turn your waterfronts to be better than Miami in Florida,” Tinubu said.
“Money will come in. You will enjoy it and you will be happy. Cross River will become wonder of tourism.”
