Naira Redesign: APC backs governors against Buhari, Emefiele

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to obey the interim order issued by the Supreme Court on the naira redesign policy.

The party made the call on Sunday after a meeting between the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and the APC governors in Abuja.

The governors at the meeting include Simon Lalong of Plateau, Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Abubakar Bello (Niger), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Yahaya Bello (Kogi).

Others are Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mala Buni (Yobe), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa).

Mr Tinubu joined the meeting while it was on.

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Mr Adamu, who read the resolutions after the meeting, said Messrs Malami and Emefiele must obey the verdict of the court.

He also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in resolving the lingering crisis.

“We asked the Attorney General of the Federation and the CBN to respect the Supreme Court injunction which is still existing.

“The meeting is asking his excellency, Mr President to intervene to resolve the issues,” Mr Adamu said.

Speaking with journalists after, Mr Adamu said the CBN policy has been causing tremendous pains for the people.

“I am sure you are quite aware of the fact that a meeting comprising of APC governors was held today and the leadership of the NWC of our great party was summoned for this afternoon and we had discussions and at the end of the discussions, we have resolved as follows and this resolution is without prejudice whatsoever to the case that is lying at the Supreme Court at this point in time. This has to do with the issue of currency redesign.

“We note very seriously that the programme and its implementation is causing tremendous difficulties to the people of Nigeria and to the national economy.

“That, we urge the Attorney General of the Federation and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to respect the Supreme Court order of interim injunction which is still subsisting,”

Governors on same page with NWC

The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), an association all APC governors, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, in his speech said the NWC and the governors are on the same page.

He also said the governors are committed to the presidential campaign of the party.

“I am happy with the response so far and it is my understanding that more of our members are still on their way coming

“We are on the same page. The APC Governors Forum, the NWC is one party. We are all together.

“The chairman said the governors and the party are one and the same and I am very proud about the conduct of our campaigns by our presidential candidate under the able leadership of our party led by Abdullahi Adamu and the DG of the Campaign Council and the governors alongside all our APC candidates across the country who have been doing a tremendous job of mobilizing Nigerians,” he said.

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PREMIUM TIMES reported that some of the governors had open confrontations with the federal government on the naira policy after the president failed to comply with the 8 February interim injunction by the Supreme Court.

The court had ordered that the 10 February deadline for the expiration of the legal status of N1,000, N500 and N200 be suspended pending the determination of a case filed by Kaduna, Zamfara and Kogi States.

Mr Buhari had in a national broadcast on Thursday declared that only old N200 notes will remain legal tender till 10 April, while the old N1000 and N500 ceased to be legal tenders.

Some APC governors responded by asking the residents of their states to continue to use the old notes.

Amidst, the face-off, the governor of Kaduna State, Mr El-Rufai, also

questioned the quality of the decision coming out of the Buhari presidency.

Mr El-Rufai also alleged that the policy was designed to derail the transition process and pave the way for an interim government. The presidency later denied the allegation.

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, also alleged that Mr Buhari could derail the country’s hard earned democracy by his position.