Naira Crunch: Ekiti sues the FG, joining the case in the Supreme Court

Over the deadline for three outdated naira notes, at least five states have filed lawsuits against the federal government.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) set a deadline for the exchange of old notes for new ones, and the Ekiti State Government has requested to be added as a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit brought against the Federal Government before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Dayo Apata, SAN, the commissioner for justice and attorney general of the state of Ekiti, submitted a motion for joinder to the Supreme Court on Friday, requesting three reliefs.

Attorneys General from Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara States are the Plaintiffs in the case with the case number SC/CV/162/2023, and the Attorney General of the Federation is the Defendant.

The Attorney General of Ekiti State is requesting three reliefs: permission from the court to join the applicants as a co-plaintiff in this case; an order from the court adding the attorney general of Ekiti state as a co-plaintiff in this case; and any other orders the court may deem appropriate given the facts of this case.

Acute shortage of naira notes in the State since the Federal Government’s announcement of the policy through the Central Bank of Nigeria is one of the arguments given in support of the application.

The applicant, the Ekiti State Government, claimed that the Federal Government of Nigeria’s instruction had a negative impact on livelihood and had caused all Nigerians, particularly residents of Ekiti State, terrible agony and misery.

The state administration further claimed that because all commercial activity in the state has been entirely halted, the direction of the Federal Government of Nigeria has had a negative impact on the revenue, levies, and taxes accruable to its coffers.

He also said that the inhabitants of Ekiti State are visibly anxious as a result of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s decision regarding the redesign of the Naira.

The fact that Ekiti is a federating state of Nigeria and as such has an interest in the resolution of the Originating Summons in the earlier lawsuit brought by the three states in the federation was another justification for the application.

The state government claimed that it shared a stake with the other plaintiffs in the case and also wanted to be bound by the verdict, so it asked the court for permission to join as a co-plaintiff.

It noted that if he is included as a co-plaintiff to air the grievances of Ekiti State, it won’t cause any unfairness or embarrassment to any of the parties on record.

“Whether the Applicant has made a case for the Court to favourably consider the Application” is the only question put forth for decision.

In a related development, the Rivers State Government announced it would join the lawsuit against the Federal Government and the Apex Bank. Kano State Government has also sued the Federal Government.

The CBN had extended the deadline for the swap of old N200, N500, and N1,000 from January 31 to February 10, but the Supreme Court ruled that the FG, CBN, and commercial banks may not do so until the determination of a notice pertaining to the matter on February 15.