Atiku's citizenship suit: Group says AGF Malami blinded by 2023 ambition

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Mr Abubakar Malami, (SAN), Nigeria's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice ; bashed by Amalgamated Atiku Support Group over decision to join the suit filed on the citizenship of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Mr Abubakar Malami, (SAN), Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice ; bashed by Amalgamated Atiku Support Group over decision to join the suit filed on the citizenship of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

A group, Amalgamated Atiku Support Group, has condemned the decision of Mr Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice to join the suit filed on the citizenship of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Malami had filed an an affidavit in support of a suit marked  filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA).

EMA, in 2019, had instituted the suit to challenge Atiku’s eligibility to contest for president.

The organization had asked the court to declare that in line with the provisions of sections 25(1) &(2) and 131(a) of the constitution and the circumstances related to his birth, the former vice-president who cannot contest for the Nigerian presidency.

The AGF, had in his affidavit before the court agreed that Atiku is not a Nigerian citizen by birth and is therefore not qualified to contest to be president of the federal republic of Nigeria.

“The first defendant was born on the 25th of November, 1946 at Jada, at the time in Northern Cameroon. By the plebiscite of 1961, the town of Jada was incorporated into Nigeria.

“The first defendant is a Nigerian by virtue of the 1961 plebiscite, but not a Nigerian by birth. The first defendant’s parents died before the 1961 plebiscite,” the AGF said.

But in reaction to Malami’s involvement, Atiku Support Group, in a statement by Remi Adebayo, its Director of Media accused the AGF of working outside the dictates of his office as the chief law officer of the entire nation.

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It also accused the AGF of  acting as if he is the Attorney General of the ruling APC.

“For Malami to join the suit filed by a hurriedly put together group known as Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA) begs the question as to what the interest of Malami the AGF is.

“The suit before the court challenging the citizenship of Atiku Abubakar, it would be recalled, has been exhaustively dealt with by the Court of Appeal and same affirmed by the Supreme Court at the final judgment during the Presidential election petition tribunal.

“It is therefore laughable and inconceivable to see the Attorney General of the Federation putting his weight behind such an exercise in futility.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku’s Nigeria’s citizenship is a settled matter, and anything contrary to that is a figment of Malami’s warped imagination.

“However, it must be expressly stated that Malami’s action is predicated on his ambition to run for the office of the President to take over from Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

“This inordinate ambition of Malami can be glimpsed from how desperately he moved against some of his own party men who have indicated interest to run against him in the APC, but ultimately, Atiku Abubakar is seen as the biggest threat hence this heinous move to stop the former Vice President.

“But we have no doubt that this plot shall fail. Malami’s belief that he can use his position as the chief law officer and the instrumentality of the courts to achieve his vaulting ambition will also collapse on his face.

“We urge the courts not to allow itself to be a pawn in the hands of AGF Malami, even as we ask Nigerians to speak up and rise against this evil machination as it is capable of denying them (Nigerians) the much-needed good governance that would be brought by Atiku Abubakar when, God willing he is elected into the office of the President come 2023.”

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