AGF Asks Supreme Court To Dismiss Suit Challenging CBN’s Old Naira Validity
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss a suit filed by three State Governments challenging the Old Naira validity of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
In a preliminary objection filed by the AGF, the federal government is urging a dismissal of the suit on grounds that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the suit in a preliminary objection filed by the AGF through his lawyers, Mahmud Magaji and Tijanni Gazali.
In the suit the AGF contends that the plaintiffs have equally not shown reasonable cause of action against the defendant, and therefore urged the court to strike out the suit for want of Jurisdiction.
The AGF in the suit, while citing section 251 of the Constitution, averred that the defence lawyers’ argument falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in matters of monetary policy of an agency of the federal government.
“The claims or reliefs are not against the federation, but the Federal Government and its agency, the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria is distinct from the Federation or the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The plaintiffs have no grievance whatsoever against the Federation of Nigeria.
“This suit has disclosed no dispute that invokes this (Supreme) Court’s original jurisdiction as constitutionally defined,” the AGF added.
On February 3, the state governments of Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara had instituted a suit against the federal government before the Apex court urging the court to grant them an interim injunction stopping the FG and the CBN from ending the validity of old N200, N500, and N1000 denominations on February 10, 2023.
Ruling on an ex parte motion by the plaintiffs, the Supreme Court ordered the Federal Government to halt the implementation of the currency redesign policy pending the determination of the substantive suit.
