THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives, on Thursday, slammed the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, for asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) field a fresh candidate in the December 5 governorship supplementary election in Kogi state, saying that he was not the AGF for the APC.
According to the PDP lawmakers, “the AGF position is not that of the law officer of the nation, but a law officer for the ruling APC.”
“What he should have done was to approach the Supreme Court on this matter for clear interpretations of the constitution,” he declared.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, PDP Caucus called on Malami to “immediately withdraw such statement and seek legal interpretation of the law before the Supreme Court.”
According to the PDP lawmakers, “the AGF position is not that of the law officer of the nation, but a law officer for the ruling APC.”
The caucus, speaking through the Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Leo Ogor, said: “We are concerned about the comments coming from the AGF on the Kogi debacle, which is very worrisome, as a law officer of the Federal Government.
“It is important we point out very clearly that the laws the AGF quoted in his directive to INEC has no basis or relationship with the situation in Kogi State.
“The scenario has no relations with the subject matter. And when you have an Attorney General speaking as if he’s the Attorney General of a political party leaves much to be desired,” Ogor pointed out .
“What he should have done was to approach the Supreme Court on this matter for clear interpretations of the constitution,” he declared.
Ogor pointed out that “the Supreme Court, in offering interpretation on the matter, must also answer one key question as to whether the said supplementary election is legal and should go on, as well as determining whether the APC has a candidate with whom to proceed with the said election following the death of Audu?”
According to him “we must also be mindful of the fact that nobody ever envisaged what happened in Kogi, not even the laws. Because death is something that cannot be ruled out in the affairs of men, and we sympathise with the people of Kogi State and the party as well as his family.”
“But the question for INEC and the Supreme Court remains: is the proposed supplementary election legal in this scenario? If yes, should the APC be participating, and who is their candidate, because the laws governing elections do not give any room for substitution in a process that has already began,” he stated.
“We, therefore, call on the AGF to immediately withdraw the comment and apologise to Nigerians. I will not ask him to resign, but he should withdraw the statement,” he declared.
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