The Supreme Court docket of Nigeria has described as dictatorial and undemocratic the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari to disobey its earlier order on the continual use of previous N200, N500 and N1000 notes.
The court docket in an unanimous ruling on Friday stated the President had no proper to differ it’s order and banned the usage of previous notes.
The ruling learn by Justice Emmanuel Agim ordered the continual use of previous notes until December 31, 2023.
He added that the CBN shouldn’t be above the regulation and can’t trample on individuals’s rights to their cash.
Additionally Learn: JUST IN: Supreme Court Blasts FG, Orders Old Naira Notes Remain Legal Tender Till Dec 31
“Our rule of regulation turns into illusory if a President refuses to obey the court docket.
“I’m not conscious of any regulation which empowers a financial institution to withhold a buyer’s cash and refused to provide him/her. The directive on withdrawal restrict is an infringement on individuals’s rights.
“I maintain that no cheap discover was given by the CBN beneath part 20 of the CBN Act. The directive is invalid and I hereby declare it so.
“In different nations, selections to alter currencies observe due course of and in accordance with democratic dictates, not after a aspect speak with their central financial institution chiefs.
“The directive given by the President, via a press launch by the CBN is invalid.
“The place of the president as Agent of the federation imposed an obligation of session on him. Not to take action makes him a dictator.
“States have a proper to be consulted by the President earlier than the directive to the CBN, as constituents of the Federation,” the decide dominated.
The decide added that the apex court docket had the correct to imagine authentic jurisdiction on the naira redesign case introduced by the governments of Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara states.
“The CBN Act can’t rob this court docket of its Unique Jurisdiction on this go well with
“This go well with falls inside the authentic jurisdiction of the Supreme Court docket beneath part 232 of the Structure.
“The Supreme Court docket due to this fact has jurisdiction on Naira swap case,” the decide added.
On the problem of the litigants not becoming a member of the apex financial institution within the go well with, the court docket dominated that: “CBN is an agent of the President. No want to affix the CBN as a celebration.
The decide additionally dismissed the preliminary objections by the lawyer Basic of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the Edo and Bayelsa state governments.