Tobias Sylvester
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has denied a viral report alleging that he asked President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the Nigerian constitution and declare martial law in the country.
Peoples Gazette reported that in a secret memo, Malami wrote a lengthy legal advice to President Buhari, urging him to move swiftly to suspend the fundamental rights of all Nigerians as guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution.
In the eight-page secret memo dated May 4, 2021, Malami told Buhari that insecurity across Nigeria has reached a level that could no longer be checked by existing democratic techniques, saying only a state of emergency promulgated by the president can help return the country to tranquillity.
“The essence of declaration is to allow for suspension of constitutional and legal bureaucratic bottlenecks pertaining to matters of National Security with particular regards to fundamental rights guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution and processes and procedures relating to procurements, among others,” the AGF said.
Malami said that the President should issue instruments of emergency and publish them in the federal gazette, adding that the Senate President and the Speaker would be informed about the decision ahead of implementation.
However, in statement issued by his spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, the AGF urged the members of the public to “disregard the media report as fabrications of anti-constitutional democratic stability in Nigeria.”
Malami described himself in the statement as “a true democrat who believes in rules of law and tenant of democracy and constitutional order.”
“The attention of the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,SAN has been drawn to a false and fictitious report alleging that there was a secret memo emanating from the Office to the Presidency.
“General publics are hereby asked to disregard the media report as fabrications of anti-constitutional democratic stability in Nigeria.
“Malami remains a true democrat who believes in rules of law and tenant of democracy and Constitutional order.
“The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is a constitutionally recognised one with its role and responsibilities embedded in the constitution.
“It is antithetical to common sense to think that the holder of such coveted Office as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will stoop to what was printed by the media.
“The Government does not operate in secrecy as it is not a clandestine operation. Hence, Malami discharges his constitutionally recognized mandates in compliance with principles of transparency, openness and accountability”.
KanyiDaily recalls that Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams had also called on the Federal Government to use traditional methods to tackle the worsening insecurity in the country.
