Ignore Buhari’s directive, Tinubu orders Governors

Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on governors across Nigeria to disregard President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent announcement that old N500 and N1,000 notes are no longer legal tender.

In a circular released on Friday by an APC presidential campaign spokesperson, Tinubu urged “friendly governors” to follow the lead of governors Nasir El-Rufai, Abdullahi Ganduje and Femi Gbajabiamila, who have defied the Supreme Court’s ruling to maintain the status quo, arguing that doing so was an invitation to anarchy. The circular added that constitutional federation requires the apex court to have the final say, as in the US.

Tinubu’s call followed widespread opposition to Buhari’s announcement on 16 February that the old notes were no longer legal tender. The president said that the central bank would only reissue the old N200 note, initially outlawed, until 10 April. Several governors, including El-Rufai, have spoken out against the order, arguing that the Supreme Court’s ruling takes precedence over the president’s statement.

El-Rufai has been vocal in his criticism of Buhari’s government. On Thursday, he accused the regime of plotting to instigate a military coup in Nigeria in order to avoid transferring power to a civilian administration when his tenure expires in May.