Atiku’s Supporters Tackle Malami over Citizenship Claim, Say AGF Blinded By 2023 Ambition

Atiku’s Supporters Tackle Malami over Citizenship Claim, Say AGF Blinded By 2023 Ambition

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Amalgamated Atiku Support Group has reacted to the affidavit by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) that Atitku, who was vice president for eight years and the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general election, Atiku Abubakar was not a Nigerian.

Malami had told a federal high court in Abuja that Atiku was not eligible to run for president in Nigeria.

Malami said this in an affidavit in support of a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019 and filed before the court by the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA).

But the Atiku group said Malami was blinded by the 2023 general election, adding that he was behaving like the Attorney General of the APC.

In a statement by signed by the Director of Media,Amalgamated Atiku Support Group, Mr. Remi Adebayo, the group said that ordinarily, and in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, is expected to be the Chief Law Officer of the entire nation and must be neutral in the interpretation of the laws of the federation.

“As the Attorney General of the Federation, it becomes a huge source of concern when the occupant of the exalted office is acting as if he is the Attorney General of the ruling All Progressives Congress (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 Atiku group said that the suit before the court challenging the citizenship of Atiku had been exhaustively dealt with by the Court of Appeal and affirmed by the Supreme Court at the final judgment during the Presidential election petition tribunal.

The Atiku group said that it was 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.”, the group said.

However, the group said Malami’s action was predicated on his ambition to run for the office of the President to take over from President 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,” the Atiku group said.

“We urge the courts not to allow itself to be a pawn in the hands of 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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