Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, has come under fire from some South-West senators in the All Progressive Congress for his remark regarding the extending of the deadline for the return of the old naira notes.

In response to the CBN’s decision, Atiku stated that the new naira policy will decrease the quantity of cash in circulation.

Olamilekan Adeola, a senator from Lagos-West and the head of the Senate Committee on Finance, claimed that Atiku’s remark revealed his lack of concern for Nigerians who were suffering because of the apex bank’s deadline and the dearth of the naira.

“I am not surprised by his (Atiku’s) antics and if he is speaking like that, I can conveniently say that he doesn’t know what the citizens are going through. He is not well informed by his economic advisers; they have not put the data out there for him to see the reason why we cannot continue this way.

“We have started seeing a couple of protests across the country that shows it is not a funny situation at all. If someone who is aspiring to govern the nation is saying this, it means he is insensitive to the needs and yearnings of Nigerians and as such does not deserve their votes,” Adeola added.

Similarly, the senator representing Kogi West and Chairman, Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Smart Adeyemi, said the crisis in the PDP would never end until after the elections because equity, justice, and equity on which the rule of law is built h “Atiku is a man who must continuously ask for forgiveness from God and Nigerians because of the way and manner they disposed of our commonwealth to inexplicable people.  When I came to the Senate, I was on the privatisation committee.

“When we investigated the privatisation, there was no single receipt to show forth regarding the assets that they said they sold. Nobody could trace who paid for what, no sign of payment, only approval to dispose of our asset.”

“When you talk about the problem of this country, you can’t but trace it to the privatisation which was poorly handled without national interest at heart,” Adeyemi said.

ad been defiled by Atiku’s inordinate ambition.

The Kogi senator added, “When has Atiku ever commiserated with Nigerians over the killings caused by insecurity; he has never had the interests of Nigerians at heart. He was part of those who brought us to this place where we have found ourselves.

“Ab initio, Emefiele tried to run for the presidency. Was it because he didn’t get the ticket that he is now trying to sabotage the APC?”

Decrying the hardship facing Nigerians over the scarcity of the naira, Adeola said, “It is too early in the year for people to be going through all of this. What is happening is pathetic and I want to believe that it is majorly wrong advice of policy by whosoever is advising Mr President or the economic team of this country that this should be done at this time.

“The country is currently witnessing one of the worst ever economic situations I have ever witnessed.  I can only say that I sympathise with Nigerians and I can only hope that our leader, the President, will look for a way out of this.”

“As widely reported in the media, he has asked for seven days, that’s like Wednesday or Thursday (this week). So, he should come out with a definite position on how the country should be going forward.”

Speaking further, the senator also wondered why a currency that had been in use for over 20 years could be phased out in one month.

“I don’t know how that is possible. Looking at the figure out there that we have about three trillion old naira notes and we have printed less than N300bn of the new naira notes, looking at the disparity alone, the CBN should know that it’s something that should be done gradually at least for the next one year,” he added.

In order to prevent a breakdown in peace and order in the nation, Tolu Odebiyi, the senator who represents Ogun West Senatorial District, urged the Federal Government to closely examine the entire implementation process.

Odebiyi stated, “Given the increasingly obvious hardship that the strategy was causing Nigerians, I express grave displeasure with the manner in which the policy was being carried out. Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has handled the Naira redesign policy poorly and erratically, and I implore the President to remove him from office.

“Emefiele’s stubborn, egoistic, and relentless pursuit of the redesign policy has made it impossible for the average Nigerian to go about their daily businesses; as a result, many are going hungry and are becoming increasingly frustrated and angry.”