S’Court naira suit in progress as 16 states battle FG

As the Supreme Court resumes hearing in the suit challenging the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the deadline for the swap, more state governments have joined in the case, making 16 states as plaintiffs against the Federal Government.

The latest additions are Niger, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Kano and Abia states.

Rivers also joined on Wednesday when all the suits were consolidated.

The suit was initiated by Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara states at the Supreme Court, seeking to restrain the FG from giving effect to the deadline on the use of old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes.

On February 8, the apex court restrained the CBN from effecting the deadline following an ex parte application brought by the three states.

Since then, other states had approached the apex court to be joined in the suit.

Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River, Lagos, and Sokoto states subsequently joined as co-plaintiffs, while Edo and Bayelsa states joined the AGF as defendants.

At the court session on Wednesday, Emmanuel Ukala, representing Rivers, applied that the separate suit filed by the state should be consolidated with that filed by other plaintiffs.

The application was granted by a seven-member panel of the apex court.

The states are arguing that the implementation of the policy has caused untold hardship for Nigerians.

The court is still in session to hear all the motions brought by the states.