The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) of Nigeria has said that the Supreme Court ruling of Wednesday stopping the February 10 deadline for the validity of three old naira notes is designed to enable corrupt politicians to share old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes during the February 25 and March 11 general elections.
“This order is only designed to help politicians in the sharing of old money during elections,” said the group’s National Coordinator, Obed Okwukwe at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Okwukwe spoke hours after the Supreme Court restrained the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from implementing the February 10 Deadline for the old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes to stop being legal tenders.
A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice John Okoro, in a unanimous ruling, granted the interim injunction after an ex parte filed by Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara state governments. The highest court also held that the Federal Government and the apex must not continue with the deadline pending the determination of a notice in respect of the issue on February 15.
Vacate Supreme Court Order, CJN Told
However, in a swift reaction, Okwukwe rejected the ruling and urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola to vacate the order.
He said, “We, the CSOs are rejecting it; it is a plot to open the bank vaults to enable buyers and hoarders of illicit wealth to have cash to buy votes.
“We ask the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to hurriedly vacate the ex parte order in the overall interest of the Nigerian election. We have suffered.”
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