A press release purportedly from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), posted on the Facebook page of First Lady, Aisha Buhari on Tuesday, has generated a lot of controversies.
The release which bears the signature of the Director of Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, and dated February 20, stated that “after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the CBN has been directed to reissue and recirculate the old N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes and this is expected to circulate as legal tender for 70 days up to May 1, 2023.”
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However, curious Nigerians questioned why the press release should be posted on the First Lady’s page instead of coming out from the CBN directly. The post was however quickly deleted, after eyebrows were raised.
The apex bank also swiftly issued a statement denying the purported circular, and tagging it as ‘Fake News’.
In the rebuttal by the CBN entitled “Please be wary of fake news”, the bank said the press release did not emanate from it as the earlier directive by Buhari on February 16, mandating that only the old N200 notes are to be in use alongside the new notes still stands while the N500 and N1000 notes are no longer legal tender in Nigeria.
An aide in the Presidency who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed the page, though verified, is not run by the First Lady but by some scrupulous individuals out to tarnish her image and that of the President.