'Buhari commit impeachable offence sake of old naira notes' - Lawyer

Ogbonge Nigerian lawyer Ayo Ademuliyi tok say 10 Nigerian State govnors wey approach di Supreme Court to ask say make dem aside President Muhammadu Buhari pronouncement no do anytin wrong.

Lagos, Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River and Sokoto States govnors say Buhari directive wey extend di validity of di old 200 naira notes for 60 days and ban old 500 and 1000 naira notes dey unconstitutional.

Di states through dia Attorneys General say “Buhari dey give imsef judicial power of di Supreme Court” sake of say di case still dey for court.

Di counsel for di applicants cite Section 232(1), Section 6(6)(b) and Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, wey include di protection of di Supreme Court’s dignity and wey ensure compliance wit im orders by all pesins and authorities.

Ademiluyi tell BBC Pidgin say wetin President Buhari do na impeachable offence and add say Nigerian lawmakers owe di kontri pipo historical duty to impeach am according to di provisions of di constitution.

Ademiluyi say even as dis state govnors and some odas don tell dia pipo to continue to spend di old naira notes, dem neva commit any offence sake of say dem dey obey di Supreme Court injunction on di mata, wey say make di old naira notes still dey function as legal tenders till dem hear di case.

"Di pronouncement of di state govnors no dey against di law, e no be treason. In fact, dem dey respect di Supreme Court of di land, unlike wetin Mr President do," di lawyer tok.

How di naira controversy take start

Di Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bin implement dia naira redesign policy wey direct pipo to stop to dey use old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes and embrace di new ones.

Sake of complaints from Nigerians, di CBN bin extend di deadline wey go make di old 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes invalid from 31 January to 10 February .

However, di Supreme Court say make di Federal Goment, di CBN, and di commercial banks suspend di deadline till wen dem go hear di suit wey three state govnors - Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara bin file to challenge di policy.

Di Supreme Court on 15 February adjourn di hearing of di suit to 22 February.

On 16 February, President Muhammadu Buhari address Nigerians and say im don direct di CBN to release di old notes of 200 for Nigerians to continue use am as legal tender.

Di President tok say di 200 go function as legal tender alongside new 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes.

''To further ease di supply pressures particularly to our citizens, I don give approval to di CBN say make dem release di old N200 bank notes back into circulation and dat make dem allow am circulate as legal tender with di new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 wen di old N200 notes cease to be legal tender,'' Buhari tok.

E say di old notes go continue to be legal tender from February 10 till April 10 2023.

Dis mean say di old 500 and 1,000 naira no longer dey valid as legal tenders.