The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Attorney General of the Federation and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to respect the Supreme Court interim injunction, ordering the recirculation of N500 and N1,000 notes.
Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the APC National Chairman, said this was part of resolution reached at an emergency meeting between the party’s governors and members of its National Working Committee (NWC) on Sunday in Abuja.
Adamu, who spoke to newsmen at the end of the closed door meeting, said the meeting also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in resolving issues caused by the new Naira note re-design and the cashless economy policy.
The Supreme Court had in a ruling on 8 February granted an interim injunction that the CBN and the federal government should suspend the implementation of the Feb.10 deadline for the expiration of the legal tender status of the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes.
On 15 February the apex court affirmed the ruling.
This, it said, should be pending until the hearing and determination of a suit before it slated for Feb. 22.
In a surprise move President Buhari on 16 February, in a broadcast announced that only the old N200 note would remain valid until April 10. He said old N500 and N1000 notes had ceased to be legal tender.
The broadcast had been heavily criticised and condemned by lawyers and many of the 21 governors of the APC.
Many expressed outrage that the President could openly defy the apex court in a democracy.
After the emergency meeting of the party leadership and governors on Sunday, the chairman announced the resolution reached as follows:
“Without prejudice or whatsoever to the case that is lying at the Supreme Court at this point in time, that has to do with the issue of currency re-design.
“We note very seriously that the programme and its implementation is causing tremendous difficulties to the people of Nigeria and to the national economy.
“That we urge the Attorney General of the Federation and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to respect the Supreme Court order of interim injunction which is still subsisting.
“That the meeting is urging his Excellency, President Buhari, to intervene in resolving issues that are causing this great difficulties to the economy,” Adamu said.
He added that contrary to speculations, the party’s leadership and governors elected on its platform under the agies of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) were on the same page on this matter.
Also speaking, Gov. Abubakar Badaru of Kebbi and Chairman PGF, expressed satisfaction on the party’s ongoing presidential campaign across the country.
Badaru said he was very proud about the conduct of party’s members and its presidential candidate, Sen. Bola Tinubu, adding that the governors and the party’s leadership are working in unity to achieve electoral victory.
“The Director-General of the campaign and indeed, governors and the party’s candidates across the country have been doing a tremendous job of mobilising the Nigerian populace.
“And we are very impressed with the support of the majority of Nigerians,” he said.
Governors of Kaduna, Kogi, Jigawa, Yobe, Zamfara, Plateau, Ekiti, Niger, Kebbi, Gombe, Lagos and Nasarawa States as well as the deputy governors of Imo and Katsina States were present at the meeting.
Tinubu also attended the meeting at the Blantyre Street head office of the party in Abuja..
The meeting lasted for about three hours.
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