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.