Buhari’s Broadcast On New Naira Is Contempt Of Court – Adegboruwa

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun Adegboruwa, has said the Thursday broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari on the new naira policy is contempt of court.

Buhari announced in the broadcast that only N200 old notes will remain as legal tender till April 10, 2023.

This is despite the Supreme Court ruling that old notes from N100 up to N1,000 remain legal tender until it decides on the suit filed against the federal government by 10 states following hardship brought about by the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Reacting, Adegboruwa said, “There is separation of powers in a democracy.

“Under section 235 of the 1999 Constitution, the Supreme Court is the final authority in legal pronouncements in Nigeria.

“Under section 287(1) of the Constitution, the President is statutorily obliged to obey, enforce and give effect to the decision of the Supreme Court.

“Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution:

“(1) The decisions of the Supreme court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the supreme Court.”

Adegoruwa added that the president’s broadcast is “sad for our democracy.”

He added, “Since he already admitted that the matter is subjudice, the President should not have proceeded to vary the order of the Supreme Court.

“The president and indeed the executive should not give the impression that citizens can brazenly disregard lawful orders of any court, as that will only encourage anarchy and lawlessness.

“It amounts to executive rascality and brazen disregard and contempt of the Supreme Court, for the President to separate the denomination of the old notes for legality. It is not open to the President to choose which portion of the order of the Supreme Court that will be obeyed.

“The President should reverse his directive and add the N500 and N1000 old notes, failing which the Supreme Court should overrule the directive of the President in on February 22 when the case comes up.”