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

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has applauded the Supreme Court over its ruling which temporarily stopped the Federal Government from ending the use of the old naira notes as legal tender on February 10.

Supreme Court on Wednesday restrained the federal government and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from effecting the February 10 deadline for withdrawal of the old banknotes from circulation.

The apex bank delivered the ruling on an application filed by Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara).

In the ruling, the seven-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice John Okoro held that the old Naira notes would remain legal tender until the determination of the suit on February 15.

Wike, who spoke at the Rivers Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign rally held at County State School in Emilaghan, Abua/Odual local government area of the state, said the ruling would save the masses of the country, and promised to join the suit challenging the CBN’s policy.

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He said: “I want to on behalf of the Rivers State government commend the Nigerian Supreme Court for what they have done today to save the masses of this country and to save democracy.

“Today, the Supreme Court has restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from embarking on stopping the old Nigerian Naira notes from circulating.

“And let me commend my brother states — Kogi, Kaduna, and Zamfara — who took it upon themselves to go and challenge the federal government at the Supreme Court.

“I also want to say that the Rivers State government will join them in that suit to challenge what the CBN is doing. We will not support anything that will go against the masses, anything that makes the masses suffer.

“I have said before, this democracy can only survive with the support of INEC, security agencies, and the judiciary. With what happened today, the supreme court has shown that the hope of the common man lies in the judiciary.”

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