Dr Salihu Lukman, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman (North-West), has asked the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, to resign for defying Supreme Court ruling on naira swap.
He disclosed this in a statement released on Friday.
Mr Lukman said, “The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, must take personal responsibility for this act of illegality.”
He said in advanced democracies, public offices who committed such acts of illegality voluntarily resigned their appointments.
The APC chieftain said, “If that the rule of law was fundamental to democracy, saying that individuals who flagrantly violated the laws or promoted acts that breached the Constitution must not be tolerated.”
He called on Nigerians to note that the crusade against the Federal Government cashless policy was led by APC governors. must take personal responsibility for this act of illegality.
He, however, hailed the Supreme Court for declaring Federal Government’s cashless policy as unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court, while nullifying the Federal Government’s cashless policy, said it is an affront to the 1999 Constitution.
Lukman said by the Supreme Court ruling as delivered by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye, the old N1,000, N500 and N200 remain legal tender.
He said Nigerians were therefore free to have access to their monies deposited in banks without any form of restrictions as contained in the Federal Government cashless policy.
“On behalf of our party leaders and members from the North-West, we salute these three Governors, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and Alhaji Bello Matawalle,” he said.
He applauded the courage and initiative of the governors to challenge the action of the Federal Government in the court, saying they demonstrated superior commitment to democracy.
Lukman said it was a patriotic duty to challenge government policies, especially when such policies are anti-people, adding that the Naira re-design and cashless policy plunged Nigerians into hardship and unimaginable shock.
“We, and indeed all Nigerians, are grateful to the Supreme Court Justices, led by Justice Akomaye, for its landmark judicial intervention, given the injurious nature of the consequences of the cashless policy of the Federal Government as was implemented thus far.
He said the governors didn’t mind the attempt to sensationally politicise the issue to the benefit of opposition political parties and their candidates in this election season.
Lukman said it was gratifying that Nigerians resisted the antics of subversive politicians who wanted to use such crude methods.
This, he said, included inflicting untold hardship and pains on them to provoke citizens into voting against the APC during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He commended Nigerians for their faith in the APC and their determination to support Sen. Bola Tinubu, the president-elect during the Feb. 25 presidential elections.
“We are indeed confident that Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation will reaffirm this confidence during the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly election on Saturday, March 11,” Lukman said.
