Supreme Court Verdict: I Didn’t Disobey Osinbajo’s Directive, Says Malami
- After Vice President Yemi Osinbajo intervened in the legal logjam in the APC, there were rumours that he was ignored by the AGF after a directive
- The AGF, Abubakar Malami SAN, says there was no such directive, adding that he can't ignore a presidential order
- The minister of justice says he has no powers to intervene in the ruling party's legal issues because the APC has its own attorneys
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FCT, Abuja - The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, has dismissed reports that he disobeyed the directives of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo concerning the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congresses.
On the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, VP Osinbajo had convened a meeting of senior lawyers within the APC on Friday, July 30 with a view to finding a resolution to the crisis within the party following the Supreme Court ruling on the Ondo state governorship election.
Source: Getty Images
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Clarifying a trending report on a presidential directive
A news report had claimed that Osinbajo directed Malami not to go ahead with the ward congresses but reports clarified that the vice president did not give any directive to the AGF.
In a statement signed by Malami’s spokesman, Umar Gwandu and seen by Legit.ng, the AGF said the conduct of the congresses is entirely the affairs of the APC and has nothing to do with the ministry of justice.
Part of the statement read:
“It is important to put the record straight that congresses and the conduct thereof are a function of a political party and not the office of the Attorney General.
“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is not responsible for the implementation of directives relating to party administration as it is rightly known.
“It is, therefore, incongruous and antithetical to common sense to think that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice refusing to obey directives over which he has no legal responsibility to execute.
“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice remain law-abiding and wholeheartedly abiding by presidential directives.”
APC might take drastic decisions on legal logjam
Legit.ng had earlier reported that stakeholders of the APC already considering an overhaul of the party’s current leadership structure to avoid a legal booby trap after a Supreme Court verdict questioned the existence of the APC's interim committee.
Accordingly, leaders of the APC have started considering the removal of Mai Mala Buni as the interim chairman of the party.
Apart from Buni, who is the Yobe state governor, his counterparts in Niger and Osun, Sani Bello and Gboyega Oyetola are members of the interim panel.
Minister of state for labour and productivity, Festus Keyamo, SAN had earlier warned the APC of imminent legal tussles if Buni remains the party's caretaker chairman.
The minister advised the party in a leaked memo released on Wednesday, July 28, against going ahead with its planned congresses under Buni's leadership.
According to him, the party will be running foul of the law if Buni continues to preside over its affairs.
Source: Legit.ng
