Who Wanted Buhari’s Visit to Kano Cancelled?

POLITICAL NOTES

There was a mild drama shortly before President Muhammadu Buhari’s last Monday’s visit to Kano State.

Shortly before the scheduled visit, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had written to President Buhari asking him to postpone the visit to the state on account of purported security concerns occasioned by the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

But barely 24 hours later, the governor suddenly made a U-turn and hosted the president as originally scheduled.

Many have linked the failed attempt to stop Buhari’s visit and the subsequent attempt to instigate crisis and stone his helicopter with ongoing efforts by some politicians to arm-twist the president to back down on the naira redesign policy.

Since the Governor of the CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, unveiled the apex bank’s plan to redesign the naira, many political leaders, who have been the cause of the suffering of the poor masses of this country have suddenly become activists and champions of the cause of the poor.

Politicians who had never sympathised with the poor masses over the persistent petrol supply crisis and other harsh conditions of living in the country, suddenly found their voice to speak on the “evil” effects of the ongoing fuel scarcity and naira redesign on the poor.

Despite the gains of the naira redesign to the economy, these politicians, who have been robbed of the opportunity to stockpile cash for the forthcoming elections, have continued to mount unprecedented pressure on the president to do their bidding.

The letter by the Kano State government to President Buhari last Friday, asking him to postpone his visit to the state was viewed by many as one of the arm-twisting tactics to force the president to back down on the policy.

Those who concocted the impression that Buhari, who is a household name in Kano, would be unsafe in the state, were believed to have thought that they could use such subtle blackmail as a weapon to stop the policy.

However, the war-tested military general ignored their antics in view of his popularity and wide acceptance in the state.

After their failed attempt to use the security agencies to cow Emefiele into submission, they tried to force the hands of Buhari.

There is no limit to what those who are opposed to the naira redesign can go to frustrate the policy.