More states set to defy Buhari over naira pronouncements

There are indications that more states of the federation are set to confront the Federal Government over the current impasse over the deadline on the Nigerian currency.
Just last night, Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, called the bluff of President Muhammadu Buhari, who had earlier approved the re-introduction of N200 bank note which he said will still enjoy legal tender status till April 10, this year.
The president had said that N1000 and N500 notes now stand demised as they are no longer to be accepted as legal tenders.
The president, in his address to the nation Thursday morning, said those who still have the old notes should take them to the Central Bank of Nigeria for deposit.
But el-Rufai fired back in a state-wide broadcast about 12 hours after saying the rejected notes would continue to be legal tenders in Kaduna.
The Kaduna Governor accused the president of breaching rule of law saying his decision runs foul of the subsisting order of the Supreme Court which had earlier on Wednesday said its earlier order given on February 8 that all old notes should continue to be legal tender.
Three states – Zamfara, Kogi and Kaduna – had dragged the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria to court asking for a suspension of the implementation of the new naira policy.

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The three states were later joined by Niger, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Kano, Ekiti and others to press home the demand. Bayelsa, Edo who are under the Peoples Democratic Party also joined but in favour of the Federal Government.
NPO Reports gathered that el-Rufai’s broadcast in Kaduna was part of a joint decision of some governors of the All Progressives Congress to declare their stand on the matter especially with increasing condemnations by the civil society organisations.
Some human rights campaigners and groups have chided President Buhari for violating the constitution with his unilateral pronouncement.
A source close to one of the Governors told the NPO Reports late Thursday that other governors will declare as legal tenders the notes demised by the Federal Government.
“You will see a trend in the next few days. That is the decision of the governors. It is becoming a full blown ‘war’ between them and the president.
“They believe very strongly that the president is being misled and that this will kill the APC at the poll. So, there is an urgent need to act and appear to be on the side of Nigerians especially because of the hardship being experienced by the ordinary people,” said the source.
Recall that el-Rufai had earlier said that he was no longer able to trust the judgement of the people around the president.
It was gathered that some of the governors had instructed the Attorney generals of their respective states to see what options are there for them under the current situation.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which contains 68 items in the exclusive legislative on which only the Federal Government of Nigeria can legislate has banking and banking as one of those on the list.