The apex organisation of all civil‑society groups in Nigeria, operating under the Civil Society Central Coordinating Council (CSCCC), protested on Wednesday against an ex parte order issued by the Supreme Court. The order restrains the Central Bank of Nigeria and President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) from terminating the use of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes on 10 February. The CSOs urged Buhari to issue an executive order to enforce the policy’s deadline, noting that the Supreme Court’s ruling does not limit the President’s constitutional powers.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, CSCCC National Coordinator Obed Okwukwe explained that the groups reject the court order because it threatens credible elections. The protest, which involved more than 3,000 supporters, also visited the CBN headquarters, where a letter was delivered to the governor. Okwukwe appealed to the Supreme Court not to provide a platform for election‑riggers seeking illicit cash to compromise the vote, and called for the order to be vacated immediately. He warned that the pronouncement could enable corrupt politicians to buy votes in the upcoming polls, “derailing the credibility of the 2023 general election and truncating our most cherished democracy.” He urged the Court to restore its image and demonstrate that it is not opposed to free, fair, and credible elections, especially in light of recent controversial judgments.
Okwukwe affirmed that Nigerian civil‑society groups fully support both the Naira redesign policy and the cash‑withdrawal limit policy, provided the 10 February deadline is not altered. He warned that the protests scheduled for Thursday, 9 February 2023—ostensibly against a shortage of the new Naira—are actually planned to incite violence, destroy public property, disrupt order, and commit arson. He called for the protests in the South West to be quelled, describing them as part of a coordinated plot to reverse the policy, force a shift in the election date, or trigger an uprising that could abruptly end the administration.
According to Okwukwe, opponents of the currency redesign and cash‑withdrawal limits are now pushing to move the 2023 general election from its scheduled date. He said credible intelligence indicates that those behind the campaign to shift the currency deadline are also advocating for a change in the election timetable, an “evil idea” that could plunge Nigeria into a constitutional crisis and collapse its democratic framework. He accused these “anarchists” of seeking to destabilise the nation and undermine President Buhari, despite having benefited from his tenure. Okwukwe questioned what offense Buhari has committed by demanding a credible election, noting that the same actors were beneficiaries of the credible 2015 polls.
Finally, Okwukwe declared that Nigerians will not accept any alteration to the 2023 election date or the currency‑redesign deadline. He challenged cash hoarders to return their billions to the banks or open cash warehouses in Lagos, Kano, Imo, Zamfara, and Kogi and distribute the funds to the poor. He urged President Buhari and the CBN governor to stand firm against those resisting the deadline, emphasizing that the 10 February deadline is “sacrosanct, irreversible and irrevocable.”
Comments are closed for this story.