EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari Posted Fake Central Bank Release Out Of Desperation For Tinubu, Eyeing Ministerial Slots, Others – Sources

Nigerian First Lady, Aisha Buhari, who was caught circulating fake news from the Central Bank which claimed that the old N500 and N1000 notes were now allowed, did so out of desperation to “save” the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidential bid of Bola Tinubu, top sources have revealed to SaharaReporters.

Mrs Buhari had shared the fake CBN release which authorised that the old Naira notes should remain legal tender for the next 70 days, till May 1, 2023.

The First Lady, without verifying her source of information, had in an Instagram post asked Nigerians to continue spending the old Naira notes.

Sources told SaharaReporters that Aisha’s motive for sharing the fake news was to promote Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate.

“See how desperate this woman is because Tinubu promised her minister. CBN has said it is fake news but Aisha posted it. She’s desperate for her ministerial slots that she can do something silly like this to impress Tinubu,” one of the sources said.

It will be recalled that a former campaign director of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Hajiya Naja’atu Muhammad had said Aisha Buhari was a member of the cabal in Aso Rock (Presidential Villa).

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State had recently lamented that some cabals in the Presidential Villa were working against Tinubu.

El-Rufai during an interview with Channels TV alleged that some cabals in Aso Rock was working to frustrate the victory of Tinubu in the forthcoming elections, a video Aisha Buhari reposted on her Instagram page in tacit agreement with the governor.

But featuring on the Arise TV Morning Show programme, Mohammad said that unlike Governor El-Rufai who was not able to mention the names of the members of the cabal, she was not afraid to mention names, and that one of the cabals was the First Lady.

However, the Central Bank of Nigeria had debunked the purported press release shared by the First Lady, describing it as fake news.

The CBN had said, “For the avoidance of doubt, and in line with Mr. President’s broadcast of February 16, 2023, the CBN has been directed to ONLY reissue and recirculate the old N200 banknotes and this is expected to circulate as legal tender for 60 days up to April 10, 2023.

“Members of the public should therefore disregard any message and/or information not formally released by the Central Bank of Nigeria on this subject. Media practitioners are advised to PLEASE verify any information from the correct sources before publication.”

In October 2022, Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), announced the plan to redesign the N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, and asked Nigerians to deposit their old notes before January 31, 2023 when they would cease to be legal tender.

Although the deadline was shifted to February 17, many Nigerians however found it difficult to obtain the new naira notes.

Amid the currency crisis, there has been a steady increase in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS) which has caused long queues at filling stations across the nation.