Supreme Court Order’ll Help Politicians Share Old Notes During 2023 Elections — CSOs
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of Nigeria has said that the Supreme Court ruling of Wednesday stopping the February 10 deadline for the validity of three old naira notes is designed to enable corrupt politicians to share old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes during the February 25 and March 11 general elections.
“This order is only designed to help politicians in the sharing of old money during elections,” said the group’s National Coordinator, Obed Okwukwe at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Okwukwe spoke hours after the Supreme Court restrained the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from implementing the February 10 Deadline for the old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes to stop being legal tenders.
A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice John Okoro, in a unanimous ruling, granted the interim injunction after an ex parte filed by Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara state governments. The highest court also held that the Federal Government and the apex must not continue with the deadline pending the determination of a notice in respect of the issue on February 15.
Vacate Supreme Court Order, CJN Told
However, in a swift reaction, Okwukwe rejected the ruling and urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola to vacate the order.
He said, “We, the CSOs are rejecting it; it is a plot to open the bank vaults to enable buyers and hoarders of illicit wealth to have cash to buy votes.
“We ask the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to hurriedly vacate the ex parte order in the overall interest of the Nigerian election. We have suffered.”
‘Not A Dispute’
Earlier after the ruling, the lawyer to the three state governments, AbdulHakeem Mustapha (SAN), said Zamfara, Kogi and Kaduna dragged the Federal Government and the apex bank to the highest court because the policy is causing hardship on Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas.
He also said the three states invoked the powers of the Supreme Court to intervene in the naira redesign policy because it is a “dispute” between the Federal Government and states.
However, the CSOs said the matter is not a dispute between the state and federal governments that warrant Supreme Court intervention.
“Today, the naira redesign policy is the policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria and it was done by the CBN Governor with the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari. It is a policy of the Federal Government.
“So, what is the issue for the determination before the Supreme Court of Nigeria? Is there any conflict between the state and the federal governments that the Supreme Court has the guts to issue an ex parte order?” Okwukwe asked.
He urged the apex court and the CJN to vacate the order in the interest of the Nigerian people and not allow itself to be used by desperate politicians.
“The Supreme Court, we beg the CJN, must redeem itself by vacating the order so that Nigerians will not see them as an apex court that is always against credible elections.”
Sign Executive Order, Group Urges Buhari
The group further urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign an Executive Order to overthrow the ruling of the apex court as he is empowered by Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution in Nigeria.
“We call on the President to exercise his constitutional power. We may suggest that he should make an urgent Executive Order to set the terminal date for the new currency to remain February 10, 2023 which he has the powers to do under the law as the ex parte order made outside the jurisdiction cannot stop the Executive Order of the President,” Okwukwe said.
