Buhari: Malami denies reported plan to suspend constitution
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has condemned a report saying he advised President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend Nigeria’s constitution and enforce martial law.
He said the report should be disregarded by Nigerians.
The minister who said he never told the president to suspend the Nigerian constitution as a way out of insecurity in the country, disclosed this through a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Umar Gwandu.
He tasked the public to disregard the media report as fabrications of anti-constitutional democratic stability in Nigeria.
He described himself as a true democrat who believes in the rule of law 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 recognised mandates in compliance with principles of transparency, openness and accountability.”
However, it was reported on Wednesday that Mr Malami wrote a lengthy legal advice to the Nigerian president, urging him to move swiftly to suspend the fundamental rights of all Nigerians as guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution.
In the said eight-page secret memo dated May 4, 2021, Malami told Mr Buhari that insecurity across Nigeria had reached a level that could no longer be checked by existing democratic techniques, saying only a state of emergency promulgated by the president could help.
Here’s the statement in full:
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.
Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu
(Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice)
