Sharia Supreme Council kicks off against 10-day extension of old naira swap

Nigeria’s Supreme Shari’ah Council (SCSN) has kicked the 10-day extension of the currency swap, saying a five-month extension was ideal to give rural residents adequate access to banks.

This was in line with its call for the government to persuade the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold all upcoming general elections on a single day.

Speaking to reporters in Kaduna, the council’s secretary general Nafiu Baba Ahmed noted, “We are in agreement with the National Assembly on the five-month currency switch from the old naira notes to new ones.

“The period, in our own estimation, will allow people in rural areas who do not have banks to travel. In addition, to mass awareness of the naira swap”.

In the polls, the council noted that some desperate politicians are already heating up to create a crisis or stop the election, knowing full well they could lose the games.

“A security source confirmed to the Council that security services may not be able to withstand the impending political violence.

“There is a high probability that second elections will not take place because of the violence of the first elections. It won’t be feasible.

“The first election is the election for the president and the National Assembly. Our fear is that in light of the precarious security situation in the country and the fact that the security services recognize that they are overstretched, it is quite possible, even very likely, that some desperate politicians who would lose the election will resort to political violence against the frontline. unless the next elections take place.

“In light of this, we involve all those who matter. We met with some of the top security chiefs who expressed their understanding of the situation and who agreed with us that their manpower is already overstretched. And it becomes a situation and a tough task to face political violence.

“We therefore recommended persuading INEC to hold all elections on the same day. In this way, we will avoid a situation where some desperate politicians on the verge of losing cannot create chaos in the country, leaving us with elections half held, half postponed.

“We can remember that President Jonathan postponed the 2015 election for some minor reason, but elections were eventually held. Therefore, we call on all well-meaning Nigerians, the government, especially INEC, to reconsider their position and organize these elections in one day.

“We in the Supreme Shari’a Council will do everything we can to call on Nigerians to make the necessary sacrifice to vote, however long it takes, let’s vote on one day, let’s have the elections on one day so that all are clear to everyone.

Regarding the census, the council believed that the national census should be suspended for the time being because the timing is wrong.