The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Attorney-general of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to relinquish following the judgement of the Supreme Court on Naira swap policy of the Federal Government.
Salihu Moh Lukman, the party’s national vice chairman for the north-west, claimed that President Buhari was not fully advised on the plan to phase out old Naira notes by the AGF and the CBN Governor.
In the statement released by Saliu Lukman today, he said: “It is sad that President Muhammadu Buhari may have been misled into such acts of illegality and abuse of executive powers,” Lukman said in a statement he released on Friday in Abuja in response to the Supreme Court ruling.
“We are grateful to the Supreme Court Justices, particularly Justice Akomaye, for this important legal intervention, as are all Nigerians. Given the negative effects of the Federal Government’s cashless policy as it has been implemented thus far and the harm caused by the Supreme Court’s decision to the profile of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami must take personal responsibility for this act of illegality by the Federal Government.”
Former Progressive Governors Forum director-general remarked that in established democracies, public office holders who engage in such illicit activity voluntarily retire from their positions.
“The CBN Governor, Mr. Emefiele, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Malami, should accept the limitations of both their knowledge of the law and commitment to democracy by resigning from their respective offices immediately,” the author continued.
“Therefore, if indeed, the Federal Government’s cashless policy was supposedly designed to conform with existing legal provisions of the Nigerian Federation, now that it turned out in the direct opposite. Democracy depends on the rule of law, and anyone who promotes or engages in conduct that contradict the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution or breaks the law in flagrant ways must be held accountable not be tolerated.
“We urge Nigerians to remember that the APC led the opposition to the Federal Government’s cashless policy, despite efforts to sensationalize and politicize it to the advantage of other political parties and their candidates during this election year.
“It is encouraging that Nigerians withstood the antics of disloyal politicians who sought to use such crass tactics, such as inflicting immeasurable agony and suffering on Nigerians, in order to persuade people to vote against the APC in the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections.
“We congratulate and honor Nigerians for their confidence in our party, the APC, and commitment to backing our party and our candidates in the 2023 elections. We do believe that at the elections for governor and state houses of assembly on March 11, 2023, Nigerians in each of the 36 states of the federal republic will reaffirm this belief.
