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General News of Thursday, 8 April 2021

Source: thenationonlineng.net

I didn’t file suit against Atiku’s citizenship - Malami

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has said he did not file any suit challenging the Nigerian citizenship of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, the AGF’s spokesman, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said Malami “has never filled any case before any court in the country challenging the citizenship of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.”

The statement was in reaction to media report of AGF’s position in a suit filed against Atiku by a group, the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The suit, though was filed before the last presidential election, has not been heard and determined. It was last mentioned on March 15, 2021 during which Justice Inyang Ekwo, before whom the case is pending, adjourned till May 4, 2021 for hearing.

The statement reads in part: “Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,SAN has not instituted legal action on the citizenship or otherwise of the former Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“The Honorable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has never filled any case before any court in the country challenging the citizenship of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“The matter in contention was part of the 2019 pre-election matters instituted by a Civil Society Organization – the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019 in respect of which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation was made a co-defendant.

“The issue had already been widely reported by the media since April 2019. It is unfortunate that stale news stories capable of causing confusion are repackaged and presented to the general public as current news.”