Naira Redesign: Buhari disavows Emefiele and Malami following Supreme Court judgment

President Muhammadu Buhari has denied reports that he ordered Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele and Federation Attorney General Abubakar Malami to disobey “court orders”.

The president spoke through a statement by his media aide Garba Shehu on Monday.

He called on the general public to ignore these reports because the president never issued such directives.

“The Presidency wishes to respond to some public concerns that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to respond to the Supreme Court ruling on the issue of the old 500 and 1,000 naira banknotes, and hereby states plain and clear that at no time does he direct the Attorney General and the CBN Governor to disobey any court order involving the government and other parties."

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari

"Since the President was sworn in in 2015, he has never ordered anyone to defy court orders, in the firm belief that we cannot practice democracy without the rule of law and his administration's commitment to that principle has not changed. »

"Following the intense ongoing compliance debate regarding the legality of old banknotes, the Presidency therefore wishes to state clearly that President Buhari has done nothing knowingly and deliberately to interfere or obstruct the administration of righteousness.”

“The President is not a micro-manager and therefore will not prevent the Attorney General and the CBN Governor from performing the details of their duties according to law. In any case it is debatable at this point if there is evidence of willful denial by both on the orders of the Supreme Court."

"The directive of the President, following the meeting of the Council of State, is that the Bank must make available for circulation all the necessary money and nothing has happened to change the position."

“It is an established fact that the President absolutely respects judicial process and the authority of the courts. He has done nothing in the past eight years or so to obstruct the administration of justice, cause lack of confidence in the administration of justice or otherwise interfere with or corrupt the courts and there is no reason that he must do it now when he is about to leave office. »

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"The negative campaigning and personalized attacks on the President by the opposition and all sorts of commentators is unfair and unfair, as no court rulings at any level have been issued or directed against him."

"Regarding the cashless system that the CBN is determined to put in place, it is common knowledge that many citizens of the country who bear the brunt of the suffering surprisingly support the policy because they believe that the action would reduce corruption, fight terrorism, build an environment of honesty, and strengthen the President's incorruptible leadership.”

“It is therefore completely wrong to blame the President for the current controversy over the shortage of liquidity, despite the judgment of the Supreme Court. The CBN has no reason not to comply with the court orders on THE ...