A meeting between the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and state governors earlier scheduled for Tuesday has been cancelled, The PUNCH has learned.

A senior Presidency source who spoke with our correspondent late Monday revealed that Buhari would meet the governors to discuss, among other things, the nationwide crisis trailing the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new naira policy.

The cancelled meeting comes only four days after the President met with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress after which he appealed to Nigerians to give him seven days to resolve the crisis.

Although no reasons were given for the cancellation of Tuesday’s meeting, The PUNCH learned that it was agreed that no major decision could be taken until the end of the seven-day window given by the President last Friday.


Buhari briefly met behind closed doors with the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State; the chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State; the central bank governor, Godwin Emiefele, and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, AbdulRasheed Bawa.

Others present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and the President’s Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.

Since the President approved an additional 10-day grace period (February 1 – 10, 2023), mixed reactions have trailed the policy which the President said is aimed at curbing money laundering, electoral malpractices, soaring inflation, amongst others.

On Monday, The PUNCH reported that Governors Nasir El-Rufai, Yahaya Bello and Bello Matawalle of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states respectively, dragged the Federal Government to the Supreme Court.

The governors prayed the court to declare that the Demonetisation Policy of the Federation currently executed by the CBN under Buhari’s approval contravenes the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Central Bank of Nigeria Act (2007) and other relevant laws on the matter.

They also prayed that the court declares that the three-month notice issued by the FG and the CBN for the expiration of all old bank notes violates the provisions of Section 20(3) of the CBN Act which says reasonable notice must be given before such a policy and that the limit cannot be outside that provided under Section 22(1) of the CBN Act.

As of the time of filing this report, the Governors of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke; the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi; the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, were spotted at the Villa premises.

YinkaOlusesi16:
Emefiele will regret his actions

tinsel:
But we just saw pictures of Emefiele, buhari and governors in a meeting?

tinsel:
But we just saw pictures of Emefiele, buhari and governors in a meeting?

Nbote:
Which kind confused set of leaders dey run things for this country like dis

BeardedmeatR:
APC and fake news are like bread and butter. That's how they posted buhari's 2015 campaign pictures and tagged it tinubu's 2023 campaign pictures in Katsina yesterday.

Racoon:
The Power play is very intense. Game on! Emilokan this one is strong.

PrinceOfLagos:
Buhari no send Tinubu papa

Tinubu can wail he wants, Buhari no send him papa

There won't be room for vote buying in this February 25th election

YinkaOlusesi16:
Emefiele will regret his actions

PrinceOfLagos:

Emefiele is bigger than Tinubu in this government , no shaking

Zandena:
So people should continue to suffer till the seven days!
Another seventh day Adventists.
The kind of disgrace that will befall Emefiele would shock Nigerians!
They've used him and as usual they will dump him sooner than expected.
According to goodluck Jonathan, people always become blind when they are in power and ofcourse that is what is happening to Buhari-led government.

tinsel:

It is not fake news. Buhari is currently in a meeting with Tambuwal, Emefiele, Baguda, effc boss and chief of defence staff

babaijebue:
Buhari and Emefiele are simply jealous of Jagaban. Jagaban is coming

UnfairLife7:
Chinedu

Tinubu will rule over your kindred