Akinwande Soji-Ojo
National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Salihu Lukman, has said the Supreme Court ruling asking the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to suspend its February 10 deadline on the swapping of the old naira notes with new ones was a big opportunity for President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate his democratic credentials.
The apex court had on Wednesday ruled that both the new and old naira notes remained a legal tender, pending the determination of the suit instituted by the Governors of Kaduna, Zamfara and Kogi States .
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had since filed preliminary objection against the governors suit.
The Federal Government argued that the Federal High Court had the proper jurisdiction to entertain such suits under Section 251(1)(a)(p)(q) & (r) of the Constitution (exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court).
While contending that the action before the apex court constituted an abuse of judicial process, the Federal Government said the state governments have no locus standi and reasonable cause of action to warrant the “invocation of the original jurisdiction of this honourable court.”
But in a statement, titled,’Cashless Economy and Presidential Cabal,’ which was made available to newsmen on Thursday, Lukman said the order of the apex Court has provided an opportunity for Buhari to reassure Nigerians that he was not in league with the forces tagged as cabal within the Presidency.
”Partly on account of the frustration by APC, governments of Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara States have taken the matter directly to Supreme Court and have obtained judgement that has cancelled the CBN’s February 10 deadline to end the validity of the old Nnaira notes. With this judgement, it means that even after February 10, the old notes would still serve as legal tender. The big question is, will this end the current naira (old or new) scarcity? It may not. If, however, the speculated objective of any so-called cabal is to frustrate the February 25, 2023 elections by either creating conditions that could mobilise electorates to vote against the APC and its candidates, especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, God willing it shall not succeed.
“In all of these, it needs to be clearly stated that throughout the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, nothing tests his credential as a converted democrat more than the need to demonstrate more listening ears and compassion at the plight of Nigerians. As a converted democrat, which I believe he is, President Muhammadu Buhari needs to demonstrate that by respecting the Supreme Court judgement and direct the CBN to end the current madness that imposes naira scarcity in the country and untold hardship for millions of Nigerians,” he said.
The former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum also tasked the leadership of existing political parties to seize the initiative towards subordinating those holding elective offices on their platforms to their dictates and authority.
‘For both APC, as a party, and Nigeria, as a nation, one of the lessons that the current reality imposes is the need to develop our political parties and make them capable of regulating the conduct of elected functionaries. This is not only the case with APC, but also the case with all our parties. Why should we have a challenge with grave consequences on the electoral fortunes of political parties, yet none of the parties contesting the 2023 elections have convened any emergency meeting of their National Executive Committee (NEC)? Yet, we want elections to produce accountable leaders. Once party organs have seized to be decision making platforms, the domineering control of government institutions by so-called cabals will remain strong.
“Moving Nigerian democracy forward require all of us as Nigerians to be much more honest beyond some partisan permutations about winning elections. As members of APC, we are working hard to win the 2023 elections, but we also will work even more harder to ensure that our next government to be led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will come with more listening ears to Nigerians and fellow party leaders. God willing Asiwaju Tinubu’s APC government must be a remarkable improvement on President Buhari’s government whereby party leaders will through all our organs as provided in our constitution effectively and efficiently take all necessary decisions, which would be respected by Asiwaju Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic, God willing, and all elected representatives,” Lukman added.
