If the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) extends the February 10 deadline for phasing out outdated naira notes, thirteen of the country’s 18 political parties have threatened to withdraw from the 2023 general elections scheduled for February 25 and March 11.
The parties said on Monday that they will not take part in the elections if the revised date of February 10, 2023 is once again pushed out.
The coalition of political party chairmen applauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s redesign of the N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes and emphasized that the policy must be maintained.
The parties also criticized the state governments of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara for petitioning the Supreme Court for an injunction to extend the validity of three outdated banknotes.
Kenneth Udeze, the national chairman of the Action Alliance, briefed the press with the following statement: “We hereby announce that at least thirteen of the eighteen political parties in Nigeria will not participate in the 2023 general elections, and we will withdraw our participation in the electoral process if the currency policies are suspended or cancelled or if the deadline is extended.”
