The Supreme Court has declared President Muhammadu Buhari as a disobeyer of court over his handling of the Nigeria currency notes redesign policy, noting that disobedience of orders of courts by him (Buhari) in a constitutional democracy is a sign of the failure of the constitution and that of democratic governance
Penpushing reports that a seven-member panel of the court led by Justice John Okoro made the declaration on Friday in a unanimous judgement on a suit filed by some state Governors to challenge what they described as the federal government’s demonetisation policy.
“The disobedience of orders of courts by the President in a constitutional democracy as ours is a sign of the failure of the constitution and that democratic governance has become a mere pretension and is now replaced by autocracy or dictatorship’, the panel stated
Penpushing further reports that a member of the Supreme Court panel, Justice Emmanuel Agim said in the court’s lead judgement, that it is not in dispute that the 1st defendant refused to obey the said order, adding that the President’s 16 February 2023 national broadcast reproduced here on pages 27-31 demonstrates this disobedience.
‘In disobedience of the order, he directed that only the old N200 naira notes be recirculated. Interestingly, there is nothing to show the implementation of even that directive. I agree with the 9th plaintiff, that the 1st defendant is not entitled to be heard by this court when it has effused to respect the authority of this court and the authority of law from which the authority of the President and the Government of Nigeria derives.”
Penpushing also reports that Agim added that Buhari’s disobedience to the court order makes democratic governance illusory, stressing that if the President of the country or any authority or person refuses to obey the order of the court it makes it delusional
‘The rule of law upon which our democratic governance is founded becomes illusory if the President of the country or any authority or person refuses to obey the orders of courts,” the Supreme Court pointed out.
Penpushing further reports that the Supreme Court had on Friday extended the validity of the N200, N500, and N1,000 notes for next ten months which is to last till 31 December, 2023., and the panel in a unanimous order directed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to continue to receive the old notes from Nigerians
The court held that the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari for the redesign of the new notes and withdrawal of the old notes without due consultation is invalid, and equally condemned the President’s disobedience of the court’s 8 February order that the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes should continue to circulate alongside the new ones.
The panel pointed out that the president’s broadcast of 16 February that only N200 notes should remain legal tender made Nigeria’s democracy look like a mere pretension while democracy is replaced with autocracy.
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