The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to submit his resignation in order to avert an economic collapse triggered by the naira redesign policy. In a statement signed by Executive Director Emmanuel Onwubiko on Tuesday, HURIWA condemned both President Buhari and Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele for abandoning Nigerians amid a severe cash‑crunch crisis. The group accused the leaders of impoverishing the populace and placing the country on “autopilot.”
According to HURIWA, the naira redesign was used as a political weapon against opponents, further deepening Nigeria’s hardships. The association noted that while the Supreme Court issued a judgment, President Buhari left for a “globetrotting gambit” in Qatar, and the CBN governor remained silent as millions suffered from the cash shortage. HURIWA argued that if President Buhari truly fears God and claims to be a statesman, he should resign immediately to prevent imminent economic disaster.
The controversy stems from Buhari’s earlier directive, broadcast nationally, ordering the apex bank to re‑introduce old N200 notes alongside new N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations for a 60‑day period ending on 10 April 2023. He also declared that the old N500 and N1,000 notes would cease to be legal tender. However, on Friday the Supreme Court, hearing a case filed by sixteen state governors—including those of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara—voided the president’s declaration and the naira redesign deadline, ruling that the policy inflicted undue hardship on innocent Nigerians.
HURIWA highlighted the confusion created by the conflicting messages from the president and the CBN governor, leaving commercial banks uncertain whether to follow the Supreme Court order or the presidential declaration that old N500 and N1,000 notes were invalid and that old N200 notes would stop being legal tender on 10 April 2023. The association also alleged that, as Minister of Petroleum, the president’s policies forced motorists into long queues, exposing them to extortion by unscrupulous petroleum distributors. HURIWA concluded by demanding an end to Buhari’s economic and monetary policies, which it says have already generated “imaginary inflation.”
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