FG distances itself from Abia Governorship tussle as Ikpeazu alleges kidnap plot
Mon Jul 04, 2016 07:26:am Politics
1.7K By Buchi Obichie
As the Governorship struggle currently rocking Abia State continues, the Federal Government has distanced itself from the crisis.
The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, released a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Salihu Isah, stating that the Federal Government never influenced the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue a certificate of return to Ogah.
In his statement, the AGF urged all the parties involved in the Governorship tussle to await the "decision of the courts" on the matter.
Malami maintained that so far, nobody had approached him to proffer any legal opinion on the crisis.
He said: "The attention of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to the insinuations and crass lies being peddled and disseminated by a cross-section of Nigerians and the various media platforms that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation is behind the legal logjam over the Abia State governorship seat and wishes to clarify that those canvassing this position have no basis to do so.
"Of particular concern are those who have peddled ill-natured rumours with a view to misinforming our discerning populace that it was the Attorney General of the Federation and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria, that gave directives to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue Certificate of Return to Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah declaring him governor-elect.
"He has definitely not taken any action either by spoken words or body language as far as this Abia governorship crisis is concerned.
"I wish to, therefore, on behalf of my principal, declare that these rumours are untrue and a figment of the imagination of those pushing these selfish, shameless and irredeemable lies into public space which only translates to partisanship on the side of its purveyors.
"As far as the Attorney General of the Federation is concerned, the constitutional powers for the legal opinion of his office have not been invoked on this issue.
"So far, nobody has approached him to proffer any legal opinion to it. As a strong believer in the rule of law, it is his belief that the law should naturally take its course
"The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation will not be dragged into this controversy and mind-games being played out by the various legal minds and spin doctors of both camps at this point.
"The parties involved should await the decision of the courts.
"In fact, we wish to, by this statement, advise those in the habit of dragging the highly esteemed Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into knotty issue of this kind even when it is yet to take a position. They should desist from these unwarranted presumptions henceforth."
This development came as Governor Okezie Ikpeazu alleged that there was a plot by "desparate politicians" to kidnap judicial officers in Abia State to swear-in Dr. Uche Ogah, who was issued a certificate of return last week by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
An Abuja High Court, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, had on June 27, sacked Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State from office over alleged tax fraud.
Aside ordering him to immediately vacate office, the court further directed INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to Dr. Ogah, who came second in the PDP Gubernatorial primary which produced Ikpeazu.
Though INEC had since issued certificate of return to Ogah, another court in Abia State, however, restrained the Chief Judge from swearing him in.
The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, released a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Salihu Isah, stating that the Federal Government never influenced the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue a certificate of return to Ogah.
In his statement, the AGF urged all the parties involved in the Governorship tussle to await the "decision of the courts" on the matter.
Malami maintained that so far, nobody had approached him to proffer any legal opinion on the crisis.
He said: "The attention of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to the insinuations and crass lies being peddled and disseminated by a cross-section of Nigerians and the various media platforms that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation is behind the legal logjam over the Abia State governorship seat and wishes to clarify that those canvassing this position have no basis to do so.
"Of particular concern are those who have peddled ill-natured rumours with a view to misinforming our discerning populace that it was the Attorney General of the Federation and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria, that gave directives to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue Certificate of Return to Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah declaring him governor-elect.
"He has definitely not taken any action either by spoken words or body language as far as this Abia governorship crisis is concerned.
"I wish to, therefore, on behalf of my principal, declare that these rumours are untrue and a figment of the imagination of those pushing these selfish, shameless and irredeemable lies into public space which only translates to partisanship on the side of its purveyors.
"As far as the Attorney General of the Federation is concerned, the constitutional powers for the legal opinion of his office have not been invoked on this issue.
"So far, nobody has approached him to proffer any legal opinion to it. As a strong believer in the rule of law, it is his belief that the law should naturally take its course
"The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation will not be dragged into this controversy and mind-games being played out by the various legal minds and spin doctors of both camps at this point.
"The parties involved should await the decision of the courts.
"In fact, we wish to, by this statement, advise those in the habit of dragging the highly esteemed Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into knotty issue of this kind even when it is yet to take a position. They should desist from these unwarranted presumptions henceforth."
This development came as Governor Okezie Ikpeazu alleged that there was a plot by "desparate politicians" to kidnap judicial officers in Abia State to swear-in Dr. Uche Ogah, who was issued a certificate of return last week by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
An Abuja High Court, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, had on June 27, sacked Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State from office over alleged tax fraud.
Aside ordering him to immediately vacate office, the court further directed INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to Dr. Ogah, who came second in the PDP Gubernatorial primary which produced Ikpeazu.
Though INEC had since issued certificate of return to Ogah, another court in Abia State, however, restrained the Chief Judge from swearing him in.
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