...The currency changeover is meant to curb inflation and money laundering, with people holding more than 80% of all money in circulation as of November, when the central bank introduced the policy. Policymakers also said it was supposed to limit the use of cash to buy votes [!], a common trend in Nigeria's elections. But the fast timeline of the currency swap [sic] has led to a very limited supply of the new notes. In the absence of cash, many people have turned to digital payment services [!] that are usually unreliable.
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HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THE ELECTION?

Nearly 200 local and international observer groups with 145,000 members will monitor the presidential and state elections. Some have complained of not being able to deploy staffers in all 36 Nigerian states and the capital because paying for services has become difficult.

Hassan Idayat, who leads the Center for Democracy and Development, Nigeria's largest democracy-focused group, said the lack of access to cash has slowed down preparations for election monitoring because workers have been left stranded.
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