The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has kicked against the 10 days extension of the currency swap saying five months extension was ideal to allow rural dwellers to have enough access to banks.
This was even as its call on the government to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold all the forthcoming general elections in one day.
Speaking with newsmen in Kaduna the Secretary General of the council, Nafiu Baba Ahmed noted that “We are in line with the National Assembly on the five months currency swap from the old naira notes to new ones.
“The period in our own estimation will allow people in the rural areas that have no banks the opportunity to travel. In addition, to massive awareness of the naira swap”.
On the polls, the council noted that some desperate politicians are already warming up to cause crisis or to stop the elections knowing fully well that they may lose the contests.
“A security source confirmed to the Council that security agencies may not be able to withstand the looming political violence.
“There is high probability of second election not holding because of violence from the first election.It is not going to be feasible.
“The first election is the presidential and National Assembly elections. Our fear is that in the light of precarious security situation in the country and the fact that admission by security agencies that they are overstretched, it is quite possible, infact highly probable that some desperate politicians who might lose the election will trigger political violence to the extent that the subsequent elections may not hold.
“In the light of this we engage all those that matter. We met with some of the key security chiefs who expressed their understanding of the situation who agreed with us that their manpower is already overstretched. And it is going to be a situation and uphill task to cope with Political violence.
“We therefore advised that INEC should be prevailed upon to hold all the elections on the same day. This way we will avoid a situation where some desperate politicians that are about to lose cannot create chaos in the country such that we will be left with election half held, half on hold.
“We can recall that for a lesser reason President Jonathan postponed the 2015 election, but elections were eventually held. Therefore we call on all well meaning Nigerians, government, particularly, INEC to reconsider their position and organise these elections to hold in one day.
“We in the Supreme Council for Shari’a will do all we can to appeal to Nigerians to make the necessary sacrifice to vote no matter how long it takes, let’s vote in one day, let’s have the elections held in one day so that all be clear to everybody.
On census, the council opined that national population census should be put on hold for now because the timing is wrong.
