A human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has described the announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari that solely the outdated N200 banknote stays authorized tender whereas the outdated N500 and N1,000 notes usually are not as a contempt of court docket.
Based on the senior lawyer, the President can not overrule the Supreme Courtroom of Nigeria.
10 state governors — Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara, Katsina, Lagos, Cross River, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and Sokoto — had dragged the Federal Authorities to the Supreme Courtroom over the naira redesign coverage of the Central Financial institution of Nigeria (CBN), which launched new N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes and directed the outdated notes ceased to be authorized tender from February 10, 2023.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Courtroom adjourned the swimsuit to February 22, 2023.
Buhari in a nationwide handle on Thursday morning introduced that the outdated N200 word stays authorized tender until April 10 however the outdated N500 and N1,000 notes usually are not.
Adegoruwa, in a press release on Thursday morning, faulted the President, saying he flouted the precept of the separation of powers.
He stated, “There’s separation of powers in a democracy.
“Underneath part 235 of the 1999 Structure, the Supreme Courtroom is the ultimate authority in authorized pronouncements in Nigeria.
“Underneath part 287(1) of the Structure, the President is statutorily obliged to obey, implement and provides impact to the choice of the Supreme Courtroom.
“Part 287(1) of the 1999 Structure:
“(1) The selections of the Supreme court docket shall be enforced in any a part of the Federation by all authorities and individuals, and by courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the supreme Courtroom.”
Adegoruwa added that the President’s broadcast is “unhappy for our democracy.”
“Since he already admitted that the matter is subjudice, the President shouldn’t have proceeded to differ the order of the Supreme Courtroom.
“The President and certainly the manager shouldn’t give the impression that residents can overtly disregard lawful orders of any court docket, as that can solely encourage anarchy and lawlessness.
“It quantities to govt rascality and brazen disregard and contempt of the Supreme Courtroom, for the President to separate the denomination of the outdated notes for legality. It’s not open to the President to decide on which portion of the order of the Supreme Courtroom that can be obeyed.
“The President ought to reverse his directive and add the N500 and N1000 outdated notes, failing which the Supreme Courtroom ought to overrule the directive of the President on February 22 when the case comes up,” he stated.
