The Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural organization has advised the Federal Government on next step to take after the supreme court stopped it from enforcing the February 10, 2023 deadline for old naira notes.
The apex court had on Wednesday temporarily halted the move by the Federal Government to ban the use of the old naira notes .
A seven-member panel led by Justice John Okoro, stopped the Federal Government in a ruling in an ex parte application brought by three northern states of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara.
Reacting, Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro said the Supreme Court ruling would encourage rigging and not prevent electoral malpractice.
Speaking with DAILY POST, Isiguzoro said: “The APC-led federal government must urgently institute an executive order backing the use of the old currency; the attempt by the Supreme Court to arm-twist the Presidency in favour of the use of naira notes is a dictate to corrupt politicians and elites who want to use the old currency stock in their houses for vote-buying during February 25.
“You can see already that the APC presidential candidate has been fighting against that deadline, and [those] calling for the extension of the use of the old notes are already jubilating [at] the Supreme Court order. This ruling is against the people, and it will encourage rigging and will not help the use of BVAS, and will not curtail election malpractices, so it’s a dictate for corrupt politicians.
“The only way the Federal Government can block it is to ensure that an executive order is done vetoing the Supreme Court and also put a fiat implementation regarding the deadline that the old currency ceases to be a legal tender recognized by the law from February 10.
“This should be an urgent step taken by the Federal Government to ensure they safeguard democracy and stop those buccaneer politicians trying to have their way by ensuring they engage in vote-buying and harass people against voting for their choices.”