Inflation: Did Tinubu Encourage Buhari To Print N22.7 Trillion? Presidency Speaks

• Paul Ibe, the spokesman of the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has come under heavy criticism
• Ibe earlier criticised the minister of finance, Wale Edun, over his comment on printing N22.7 trillion under Buhari’s administration without productivity
• Bayo Onanuga, an aide to the president, claimed that Tinubu never encouraged Buhari to print more naira notes in 2020

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

State House, Abuja - Amid rising inflation, the presidency has reacted to claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu asked ex-president Muhammadu Buhari to print more naira notes in 2020.

Bayo Onanuga, a special adviser on information and strategy to the president, debunked the claims, describing it as "erroneous".

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Recall that Paul Ibe, a spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, had claimed Tinubu advised Buhari to print naira notes in 2020.

Ibe’s remark followed the minister of finance and coordinating minister of economy, Wale Edun’s comment on the printing of N22.7 trillion under Buhari’s administration.

Edun had claimed that the N22.7 trillion printed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through Ways and Means overdraft for the federal government of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, under Buhari, landed the country into hyperinflation bedevilling it now.

The claims shared on the X platform by some users here and here indicated that Tinubu had asked the federal government led by Buhari to print more naira notes to save the economy from collapse as the COVID-19 pandemic bit harder.

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The claim further indicated that Bola Tinubu made this assertion, noting that the United States Federal Reserve had printed more dollar bills to boost the economy. He said Nigeria could also do the same.

Reacting, in a post shared on his X account on Thursday, March 7, Onanuga recalled that Tinubu had clarified the issue when it was first reported in 2020.

Onanuga tweeted:

“President Tinubu did not advise the Buhari administration to print Naira, the way it was erroneously reported in 2020. He provided a clarification in Thisday of 30 March 2020, a day after the false report came out."

Atiku lists 4 policy prescriptions to rescue Nigeria

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Atiku Abubakar said President Tinubu told experts offering ideas on resolving the economic crisis that they do not distract him and his team.

Atiku said this happened at a meeting called to address the Foreign Exchange crisis and the problem of economic downturn on Thursday, February 15.

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INEC chairman regrets declaring Tinubu winner of 2023 presidential election? Fact emerges

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) disclosed this via his X handle @atiku.

He said he could not continue to keep quiet as Tinubu's administration's wrong policies continued to cause untold pain and distress to the economy.

Source: Legit.ng