Mallam Salihu Lukman, the National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called for the resignation of Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation. He accused them of misleading President Muhammadu Buhari into violating a Supreme Court order regarding the new naira redesign policy. This statement follows the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, which invalidated the Central Bank’s policy, stating it was implemented without proper consultation and was not aligned with constitutional provisions. The Court ruled that the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes should remain in circulation alongside the new notes until December 31.
Lukman expressed his dismay over the abrupt implementation of the cash swap policy and the stringent deadline, which he believes has caused significant hardship for Nigerians. He emphasized that public officials like Emefiele and Malami should acknowledge their failures and resign honorably following such a misuse of public office. In a statement titled “Cashless Policy: Supreme Court Invalidates Actions of the Federal Government,” Lukman welcomed the Court’s ruling, which deemed the government’s cashless policy unconstitutional and a violation of the fundamental rights of Nigerians. He lamented that President Buhari could be misled into committing acts of illegality and abuse of executive power as highlighted by the Supreme Court.
Lukman further stated that given the detrimental effects of the cashless policy and the damage the Supreme Court ruling has inflicted on the reputations of President Buhari, Emefiele, and Malami, they must take personal responsibility for this illegality. He noted that in advanced democracies, public officials who engage in such misconduct typically resign voluntarily. He urged both Emefiele and Malami to accept their limitations regarding the law and their commitment to democracy by resigning from their positions immediately. He underscored that the rule of law is fundamental to democracy, and individuals who violate laws or promote actions that breach the constitution must not be tolerated.
Additionally, Lukman praised the resilience of Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, and Bello Matawalle of Zamfara for challenging the Federal Government on behalf of the citizens. He commended their courageous actions, which he believes have alleviated the suffering of the people. “On behalf of our party leaders and members from North-West, we salute our three Governors for their bravery and initiative in contesting the Federal Government’s actions in the Supreme Court. It is a patriotic duty to challenge government policies that cause hardship to Nigerians, regardless of political affiliations,” he stated.
Lukman highlighted that the APC, led by El-Rufai, Bello, and Matawalle, has demonstrated a strong commitment to democracy by spearheading the crusade against the Federal Government’s cashless policy. He urged Nigerians to recognize that this initiative was driven by the APC, despite attempts to politicize the issue for the benefit of opposition parties during the election season. He expressed gratitude that Nigerians resisted the manipulative tactics of certain politicians who sought to exploit the situation to sway public opinion against the APC in the upcoming elections. Lukman concluded by expressing confidence that Nigerians across all 36 states will reaffirm their support for the APC during the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on March 11.
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