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Four States Join Legal Battle Over Naira Crisis
The legal opposition against the Central Bank of Nigeria’s currency redesign policy has grown as more states join the battle against the Federal Government.
The Attorneys-General of Ekiti, Bayelsa, Sokoto, and Rivers have announced that their states will be joining the suit as co-plaintiffs, which was initially filed by the governments of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara.
The growing number of states opposing the policy are rallying against the February 10th deadline for the currency swap, citing that it is causing undue hardship for their citizens.
Kano and Ondo have now joined the original three states, who filed the suit under number SC/CV/162/2023, at the Supreme Court.
This is as the Nigerian Governors Forum warned on Sunday that the crisis occasioned by the CBN policy might cause another economic recession in the country.
As a result of the legal action taken by the three northern states of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara, the Supreme Court granted an ex parte order last Wednesday, prohibiting the Federal Government and CBN from enforcing the February 10th deadline for exchanging the old N1000, N500, and N200 notes.
However, the Federal Government has since taken steps to have this order vacated.
Ekiti, represented by its Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata, SAN, filed an application on Friday seeking three specific remedies. The details of these remedies were made available to newsmen on Sunday.
The state government is seeking “leave of this honourable court (Supreme Court) to join the applicant as a co-plaintiff in this suit; an order of this court joining Attorney-General of Ekiti State as a co-plaintiff in this suit; and for such order or further orders that this honourable court may deem fit to make in this circumstance of this suit.”
The application made by Ekiti, through Mr. Dayo Apata, was based on a number of grounds, including “the acute shortage in the supply of naira notes in Ekiti State since the announcement of the policy by the Federal Government through the CBN.”
The state government also averred that “the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria had affected the livelihood and had inflicted excruciating pain and hardship on all Nigerians, including citizens of Ekiti State.”
Additionally, the application argued that the directive issued by the Federal Government has had a negative impact on the revenue, levies, and taxes owed to the Ekiti State Government, as economic activity in the state has come to a complete standstill.
“Ekiti is a federating state of Nigeria and therefore has an interest in the determination of the originating summons in the suit earlier filed by the three states in the federation, having a common interest as other plaintiffs and also in the outcome of the suit, sought the leave of the court to be joined as a co-plaintiff in order to be bound by the outcome of the suit.” He said.
On Sunday, newsmen received confirmation from the Bayelsa State Government that it too would be filing a request to join the suit. The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo, confirmed this in a brief response to an inquiry from a correspondent.
He said, “Yes, Bayelsa will join in the subsisting suit at the Supreme Court.”
Furthermore, there are strong indications that the Sokoto State government may also join the legal opposition against the deadline for the old naira notes.
When speaking with the correspondent, the Sokoto State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Usman Sulaiman, stated that the state may join the suit based on the resolutions made at the Nigerian Governors Forum. The commissioner added that he has already communicated his recommendation to the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal.
“There is a possibility of Sokoto State joining the suit based on the resolutions of the Nigerian Governors Forum. I have written to the governor on the next step and presently awaiting his response which will determine what to do from our end,” he disclosed.
The Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, declined to provide a specific timeline but stated, “I will not give you a timeline, but when we file it, you will know.” However, the state governor, Nyesom Wike, had previously announced that the state would be joining the suit.
Regarding the interim injunction issued by the Supreme Court, Governor Wike stated that the intervention was timely as some forces were attempting to disrupt the democratic process.
He made these comments at the County State School in Emilaghan, Central Abua, during the campaign rally flag-off for the Rivers State People’s Democratic Party in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area on Wednesday.
The Lagos State Government has also expressed his readiness to join the legal battle as it is a matter of true federalism.
This was confirmed by the Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, in response to inquiries from newsmen on Sunday.
“The Lagos State Government will likely join in the suit because it is about true federalism; it is about equity and justice. It is about everything that we cherished. It is about values. So we may likely join.”
Omotosho also said the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu won’t hesitate to order the arrest of persons rejecting the old naira notes.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has urged party members to stand strong and united as Nigeria faces a crisis.
Speaking at the ongoing National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Obi highlighted the urgent need for national rescue, calling attention to the country’s ongoing struggles.
Obi did not mince words about the state of the nation, stressing that Nigeria is heading towards collapse.
READ MORE: Peter Obi In High-Level Meeting With Gov Bala Mohammed
He encouraged party members to speak up, no matter the opposition they may face.
“Do not fear anybody. Those who were afraid yesterday didn’t do any better,” Obi told the gathered party members. “We must speak out when things are going wrong. Nigeria is collapsing. The numbers are clear; the indices are clear—people are getting poorer every day.”
The former governor of Anambra State also stressed the importance of party unity and inclusiveness. He made it clear that the Labour Party’s direction is about collective choice, not individual preferences.
“Labour Party has chosen to be a family, and we must do everything as a family. It’s not about Peter Obi’s choice; it’s everyone’s choice. This family excludes no one. We want to build a party that is fair and just,” he said.
Looking forward, Obi outlined the party’s vision for the upcoming elections, emphasizing the need for preparation and a focus on selecting the most competent candidates for all political offices.
“We want to go into the next election fully prepared, offering Nigerians the best and most competent candidates for the House of Representatives, the Senate, Governorships, and the Presidency,” Obi stated.
He also called for a stricter focus on loyalty and competence from anyone seeking to run under the Labour Party banner. Obi noted that only committed party members with the necessary capabilities should be considered as candidates.
“We want to correct the mistakes we made in the past. Anyone seeking to contest under our party must be a committed member, not just someone passing through. They must be competent,” he said.
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Read Also: On SYNLAB Nigeria’s Secured Patient Portal, Test Result Delivery’s Safe Alternative
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Read Also: Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence: SYNLAB Nigeria’s Journey in Diagnostics Care
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Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and several legal practitioners on Monday escorted a Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, to the office of her Local Government Inspector (LGI) after she was summoned for a viral video criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Raye had gained widespread attention after posting a video on her TikTok account, #talktoraye, in which she lamented the country’s worsening economic crisis and blamed President Tinubu for the hardship faced by Nigerians.
She further described the president as a “terrible leader.”
READ ALSO: You Have No Right To Stop Me – Sowore Battles Police, EFCC At Court Entrance
In a subsequent video, Raye claimed that NYSC officials had begun to threaten her following her public outbursts.
She was then summoned to appear at the NYSC office in Eti-Osa, Lagos, for questioning on Monday.
However, Sowore, alongside legal practitioners including Festus Ogun, Yinka Oyesomi, and Justice Ojienoh, accompanied Raye to the NYSC office in a show of solidarity.
According to an update shared by Sowore on his official X handle, the NYSC officials failed to show up for the meeting.
“We arrived at the Eti-Osa LGI offices of the @officialnyscng with youth corper, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, in Lagos. She was scheduled to appear before the LGI today, and we escorted her to their offices with attorneys.
@mrfestusogun, @yinka_oyesomi, and @justiceojienoh, but the LGI official had absconded, failing to show up throughout our stay,” Sowore posted.
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