NAIRA: CSOs reject S’Court ruling, say it’ll let politicians engage in vote-buying

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of Nigeria, has alleged that the Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday suspending the February 10 deadline for the use of three old naira notes is intended to allow dishonest politicians to use old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes during the general elections on February 25 and March 11.

Obed Okwukwe, the organization’s national coordinator, issued this scratching remark at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been ordered not to enforce the deadline of February 10 for the old 200, 500, and 1000 naira notes to cease being legal tender at that point.

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 states governments.

The highest court also held that the Federal Government and the apex bank must not continue with the deadline pending the determination of a notice in respect of the issue on February 15.

During the press conference after the ruling, Okwukwe said, “This order is only designed to help politicians in the sharing of old money during elections.

“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.”

READ ALSO:Wike hails Supreme Court’s ruling on old naira notes, to join suit

Prior to the ruling, AbdulHakeem Mustapha (SAN), the attorney for the three state governments, claimed that Zamfara, Kogi, and Kaduna had taken the Federal Government and the apex bank to the highest court because the policy was having a negative impact on Nigerians, particularly those who lived in rural areas.

Additionally, he claimed that because there is a “conflict” between the federal government and the states, the three states have used the Supreme Court’s intervening authority in the naira reform policy.

However, the CSOs said the matter was 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.

“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.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now