The apex body of all civil society groups in Nigeria the Civil Society Central Coordinating Council has rejected the Exparte order issued by the Supreme Court restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and President Muhammadu Buhari from terminating the use of the old N200, N500 and N1000 bank notes by February 10 deadline.

The group therefore called on President Buhari to immediately consider issuing Executive Orders to bring to effect this policy terminal date of February 10 as the Supreme Court order did not restrain the exercise of the constitutional powers of the President.

The Council further said their rejection of the order was because it was an attack on credible elections and call on the Supreme Court not to yield its platform for such election riggers to have access to illicit cash to compromise the election.

They also called on the apex court to immediately vacate the order as it was capable of derailing the credibility of the 2023 general election and ultimately truncating our most cherished democracy, adding "the Supreme Court must redeem its image immediately and show Nigerians that it is not deliberately against free, fair and credible elections bearing in mind some very controversial orders and judgments of the court in the recent past.


The Civil Society Central coordinating Council also passed a vote of confidence on the CBN Naira policies.

The Council which is the apex organ of all civil society groups in Nigeria made this position known at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday where it also stated that the Naira redesign and cash withdrawal limit policies are for the ultimate good of Nigerians.

It also raised alarm about the intelligence it claimed to have that some civil society organization have been approached by some persons to mobilize for protests which are designed to degenerate into violence, disruption of public peace and torching of some public
infrastructure.

The group announced that they rejected the proposals to join in violent national protests on the ground that Nigerian civil society has given total support to the policies and indeed passed a vote of confidence on the policies as well as the President and the Governor of the CBN.

Furthermore, the council dissociated all civil society groups in Nigeria from the planned violent protests and called on security agents to immediately quell the protests which are ultimately going to have the capacity to truncate our democracy or cause a sudden end to the current administration.

It further raised alarm that those who brought the proposal to them had said the Supreme court was going to be used to reverse the policy and just like they said, that order has just been made by the Supreme this morning.

Nigerian Civil society further called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to distance the Supreme Court from the plot to use it to achieve an aim which is counterproductive and against the interest of the people.

However, upon getting information that the Supreme Court has giving an order restraining the CBN deadline, the group rejected the order and
claimed that it was procured with the aim of aiding vote buyers to compromise the electoral process.

It maintained that the order is a threat to credible elections in Nigeria and must be vacated immediately.

The group finally urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately exercise his constitutional powers and sign Executive Orders to terminate the validity of the old notes on February 10 as any further extension would amount to collapse of the economy.