The National Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the Federal Government’s stance on its naira redesign policy. In a statement signed by President Yakubu Maikyau, the NBA demanded compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgment in suit no. SC/CV/162/2023, delivered on 3 March. The association disclosed that, following the naira redesign policy, it conducted broad consultations with critical stakeholders across the country to assess the policy’s potential impact on the economy and the Nigerian people.
The NBA noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cash‑swap programme, which took effect on 23 January 2023, has not addressed Nigerians’ concerns after 31 January 2023. The letter read in part: “It is sad and disheartening that the Federal Government and its agency, the CBN, remain adamant about the plight of Nigerians as a direct consequence of the implementation of the Naira Redesign Policy, despite several interventions for review in order to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, leading to the damning remarks and orders by the Supreme Court as quoted above.”
The statement continued: “Regrettably, not even the clear findings of the Supreme Court—regarding the unfair and deceptive nature of the policy—could make the Federal Government retrace its steps. The Court not only condemned the President’s actions as contemptuous but also held that they constitute a threat to the rule of law and to our democracy.” The NBA praised the apex court’s judgment, saying it affirmed the Court’s responsibility to the people and its duty to protect the rule of law and its own integrity, describing the Supreme Court as “the Supreme Court of the people of Nigeria.”
The NBA emphasized that when public confidence in other arms of government wanes, the legal profession—particularly the judiciary—must rise to the occasion by delivering justice with courage and precision to provide succour to the people. “The Supreme Court has issued directives to the Federal Government for the benefit of the people, and there is no option other than to comply. The President is under constitutional obligation to enforce the decision of the Supreme Court,” the statement asserted, citing Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended): “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.”
The NBA warned that Nigerians should not be overly enchanted with the judiciary due to unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct, but stressed that the judiciary remains the final resort for protecting citizens’ rights and ensuring probity in public life. “The Supreme Court has spoken for the people of this nation and has appropriately issued orders to the Executive; these orders must be complied with,” it said. The association added that the country cannot, under any guise, accept or tolerate any appearance of autocracy or dictatorship, noting that “our system of democratic governance has come to stay; it must be respected, jealously guarded, and protected.”
Finally, the NBA urged the President to immediately direct compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders delivered on 3 March 2023 and pledged its commitment to promoting, entrenching, and respecting the rule of law, the integrity of the Court, and the independence of the judiciary. “The NBA shall stand up against any action that seeks to undermine the rule of law, the integrity of the Court, and the independence of the judiciary.”
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