Agents of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, have been spotted sharing the old naira notes in envelopes branded with the governor’s picture.

In a video seen by Development Diaries, agents of the governor could be seen convincing supporters that the notes remain legal tender contrary to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy.

‘These notes remain legal tender, the governor will come back for an enforcement if banks reject them’, his agent told supporters.

The governor and several other politicians had been accused of stocking up on banknotes with the aim to induce voters in the 2023 elections.

Although President Muhammadu Buhari, last Thursday, directed the CBN to allow the circulation of only the old N200 notes, some state governors, including Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State and his Ogun State counterpart, insist that the old N500 and N1,000 notes remain legal tender until the Supreme Court makes a definitive pronouncement on the matter.

The distribution of the old naira notes by agents of the Ogun governor appears to be an act of voter inducement and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be alerted.

INEC is empowered by the provisions of section 127 of the Electoral Act 2022 to prosecute persons involved in vote-buying or trading.

Development Diaries, therefore, calls on the electoral umpire, in collaboration with relevant security operatives, to ensure that anyone found to be involved in vote trading is arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

Photo source: Dapo Abiodun